Why Johnny Can't Brand: Rediscovering the Lost Art of the Big Idea [Hardcover]

Bill Schley (Author), Carl Nichols Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2005

Too many companies think that splashy advertising and cool packaging is the same thing as branding. Marketers talk about brand charisma or brand warfare, spend millions on entertaining ads starring dancing chimpanzees or cowboys herding cats, but fail to differentiate their product or give consumers a real reason to pay attention. Then they wonder why their campaigns fail.

This in-your-face, down-to-earth guide explains real branding: the process of creating an exclusive idea of value that consumers can trust you to deliver consistently. It offers a unique eight-week program that can help any company create a #1 brand by focusing on the one big idea that will make people really want your product or service.

The same principles apply to Ford Motor Company and Frankie’s Lawn & Garden shop. Schley and Nichols teach readers how to:

• abandon their precious lists of features and benefits
• focus on a simple, singular message
• distill a killer dominant selling idea
• roll out a new brand identity

For anyone who wants to harness the true power of branding, this enjoyable book is the place to start.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

High-concept Super Bowl commercials, baffling corporate names, "formless positioning and flabby claims that lack any differentiating punch"—all come in for abuse in this sprightly old-school marketing primer. Harking back to the "Unique Selling Propositions" of the "Brand Titans" that bestrode advertising's golden age in the early television era, brand consultants Schley and Nichols exhort companies to redefine their products in terms of a single, mesmerizing "Dominant Selling Idea." They provide reasonably specific guidelines for arriving at a DSI, covering topics like market research, brand naming, visual imagery and—the heart of their method—concocting and laying exclusive claim to some special attribute through such techniques as combining two unrelated special attributes (Certs is a candy mint and a breath mint) or declaring a magic ingredient. They steer readers away from bland brand taglines and toward specific, wallet-grabbing, must-buy propositions like Black Flag's immortal "Roaches Check In, but They Don't Check Out." Writing in an engaging, straightforward style with a dash of wit and vinegar, the authors provide much useful, hands-on advice for perplexed marketing executives.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Remember the Pets.com sock-puppet ad during Super Bowl XXXIV that epitomized the absurdity of the dot-com bubble? Cowboys herding cats, singing chimps, and the AFLAC duck may be great entertainment, but they don't convey a thing about the companies they represent. They are not effectivebranding. Somewhere along the line, "Johnny" forgot the basics about revealing the Big Idea in an easy, everyday way that cements your brand as top dog in the hearts and minds of consumers without resorting to puffery and shallow glitz. It turns out it's the steak, not the sizzle, after all. The authors create a workable strategy for placing your brand in the number-one position in the minds of your targets in eight weeks by using a motivating difference called the Dominant Selling Idea--the one thing that distinguishes your brand at the point of purchase, whether you're Ford Motors or Tom's Lawn and Garden. Schley and Nichols are partners at david, inc., a branding consulting firm in Connecticut; they've worked with major global companies such as Coca-Cola and IBM. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover (November 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591841127
• ISBN-13: 978-1591841128
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #939,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Schley is President and Chief Creative Officer at David ID, a brand development firm in Connecticut whose clients range from global corporations to promising start-ups. He is co-Author of Why Johnny Can't Brand: Rediscovering the lost art of the big idea (Penguin Hardcover), a frequent industry speaker and radio guest. He was a founder and Chief Brand Officer at two successful start-ups in the 90's that became industry dominant brands before sale to a public company. He began as a writer at Ted Bates, the legendary New York Ad Agency where he won the National Effie Award for sales-effective advertising. He later took time out to write a screenplay for 20th Century Fox and has written another best selling book, Power-of-10, published by HarperCollins. He is a graduate of Harvard University, a trans-Atlantic sailor and avid skydiver.


Carl Nichols is CEO of David ID. He has been leading agencies that transform global and national brands for over 25 years. He is co-Author of Why Johnny Can't Brand and speaks regularly at industry conferences and events. Prior to David ID, Carl was CEO of Einson Freeman, a leading US marketing services firm and subsidiary of WPP, the world's largest agency group. Earlier in his career as Global Director for Proctor &d Gamble and Masterfoods at D'Arcy in the 1990's, Carl was assigned to open new agency offices from scratch in seven formerly Communist Bloc countries. Four years later, he had clients that included Coca-Cola, Phillips, Masterfoods, ING Bank and Proctor & Gamble and over 450 employees in Eastern Europe. He has published a book on real world perspectives for young adults: What I Didn't Know Could Fill a Book: A CEO dad shares the life lessons he wished he'd learned earlier. Carl is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and three sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent "Back to Basics" of Marketing, December 13, 2005

By 

Roger Adsett (West Chester, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Johnny Can't Brand: Rediscovering the Lost Art of the Big Idea (Hardcover)

With so many branding "experts" around, its easy to lose sight of the fundamentals - here they are. A clear review of the basic principles of creating enduring, differentiated brands. Advocates a re-focus on the dominant selling idea as the primary driver of branding. Use this guide to break out of the "sameness" of brands and to focus on what your brand uniquely offers to customers. First half is branding theory and the second half is a "how to" map for implementation. It is a quick and entertaining read that is now on my desk for reference. I ordered copies for my team and have given copies to senior managers in my organization.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear explanations, practical ideas, August 3, 2007

By 

Janice King "Author, "Copywriting That Se... (www.writinghightech.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Johnny Can't Brand: Rediscovering the Lost Art of the Big Idea (Hardcover)

Don't let the unfortunate choice of title turn you away from this book. It is full of clear explanations and practical advice, especially if you're trying to build a new brand. One drawback: It is too focused on consumer brands and doesn't really address the issues of branding for business-to-business sales.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The #1 Branding Book for Anyone, November 7, 2006

By 

Dena Harris (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Johnny Can't Brand : Rediscovering the Lost Art of the Big Idea (Hardcover)

I'm only halfway through this magnficent book and have already recommended it to half a dozen people. I am fortunate to have stumbled across this book as I prepare to makeover my business (freelance writer) and web site. This book has me thinking in new ways and different directions than I would have without it, and I'm spending time identifying what my DSI truly is. Although this book is probably written more for companies, I think it should be a mandatory read for every independant contractor out there. Entertaining, common sense, and plenty of examples. Two thumbs up.