Brand Aid: An Easy Reference Guide to Solving Your Toughest Branding Problems and Strengthening Your Market Position (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "PEOPLE OFTEN ASK me, "What is brand equity?..." (more)
Key Phrases: brand identity standards, brand management practices, brand identity system, New York, Problem Number, Eating the Big Fish (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What makes a Mercedes a Mercedes or a Coke a Coke? Popular brand names like these are more than just products. They're symbols that capture a wide range of ideas and emotions, thanks to the efforts of marketing masters like VanAuken, former director of brand management for Hallmark. VanAuken has distilled his enormous practical knowledge about the theory and practice of brand management into this smart but problematic volume. The book is packed with information and good ideas-so many, in fact, that it is virtually an encyclopedia of brand marketing dos and don'ts. Most of the material is presented as a densely compressed series of bullet points-often with 10 or more points to a page-which lack clear continuity. The result is a book composed largely of lists-easy to browse, but hard to read. This wouldn't matter if the book were truly effective as an "easy reference guide," but the lack of a technical glossary limits its usefulness in that area as well. While certainly a valuable resource for marketing professionals, this is more a collection of brilliant fragments than a practical road map for executives out to make their product a household name like IBM or McDonald's.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...[Brand Aid] is a significant addition to the brand marketing library." -- Entrepreneur

"It's [Brand Aid] terrific. It's packed with useful research data and checklists.. -- MarketingSherpa.com

"Quite possibly the best book I have seen on the topic of creating and maintaining a "brand"[...]Brand Aid. -- BookViews.com

"[the author] which offers an almost encyclopedia look at every step in the brand process...Highly recommended." -- Quirk's Marketing Research Review

If you are a beginner in the world of branding,you will find BrandAid an enjoyable&helpful read to get you started. -- Journal of Product and Brand Management

[Brand Aid] is immensely readable and even entertaining with a plethora of examples of problems faced by well-known brands. -- PoolOnline.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1st edition (July 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814406815
• ISBN-13: 978-0814406816
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #377,701 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable Resource for Every Business Leader, August 7, 2003

By	Roger E. Herman (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Of all the books I've read on marketing and branding, this one is the shining star! I'll also go out on a limb and assert that it's one of the best books I've seen published by AMACOM. With those superlatives in place, let's look at the book.

The challenge of market positioning, business-to-consumer and business-to-business, has intensified. Buyers' minds have become crowded-no, cluttered-with a bombardment of messages urging them to select one product or service over another. Organizations that desire to positively influence people about their offerings must be concerned about brand. And "organizations" encompasses more than just manufacturers, retailers, and other for-profits. Not-for-profits, schools, civic groups, causes, and even individuals need to pay more attention to developing, enhancing, and defending their brands.

This high-content book is written for beginners as well as those who think they know at least something about what they're doing. In chapter after chapter, "Brand Aid" delivers critical knowledge that is both educational and though-provoking. The chapters conclude with sets of questions to help readers measure just how well they're doing...and what needs to be done. No matter how good you think you are, you will find reinforcement and unsettling feelings for work to be done in each of these check-off lists. "Did You Know" inset boxes throughout the book provide interesting facts, case studies, and other material to effectively supplement the primary text. The three appendices deliver even more knowledge...and challenging questions.

As I read this book, I felt like I was taking a college course-maybe a graduate course-in branding. I found myself wanting to talk with the professor to explore even further than the depth I was experiencing. The style of the book is quite engaging and will certainly hold the interest of people in the field. I'd recommend it as well for business owners and executives who may not be directly involved with branding; indirectly, you are a part of the process, and gleaning the messages and insights in this book will enable you to serve as a much more effective leader.

The comprehensive index and the book's website make "Brand Aid" even more useful. A glimpse of the cover and acknowledgement of what comes immediately to mind will stimulate your thinking, then turning the pages will start you on an exciting adventure. You'll be motivated to take action from practically every chapter, so get ready for an application-oriented reading experience. Great as a read-through and as a reference book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading on Brand Management, September 19, 2003

By	Thomas J. Miller (Dove Canyon, CA USA) - See all my reviews

"Brand Aid" is the most comprehensive of all the materials that I've read on brand management. It is packed with resources to gain understanding in what branding is and how it can be implemented to benefit an organization. The case studies are engaging and relatable, and the checklists are thought provoking. The succinct content in each chapter makes this book an invaluable reference tool.

Even the most basic branding concepts in the early chapters were insightful and deepened my belief in the importance of building strong relationships with customers and employees.

My organization began a branding initiative earlier this year. I now wish I had read "Brand Aid" before we started. This book should become required reading for all business leaders responsible for driving the growth of their organizations.

Thomas J. Miller
Product Marketing, Director
Newport Corporation, Inc.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Sets Standard in Field of Branding, July 29, 2003

By A Customer

I found the book "Brand Aid" highly informative and I believe VanAuken has set a new standard in the study of branding. Whether it's the Case Studies, "Did You Know?" items or checklists throughout the book, he is able to provide PRACTICAL advice that can be used to develop or enhance brands.

This book could very well become the "Bible" for branding now and in the future. I would give it 5-plus stars.