Reinventing the Brand

Rating:
Summary: A Milestone Beyond the Basics
Review: After reading many recent books on branding and enjoying them immensely, I encounted a milestone in Reinventing the Brand. Jean-Noel Kapferer is an original, penetrating, self-confident authority with international scope. He has sifted through boatloads of received wisdom and common knoweldge and corrected their deficiencies with speed and savvy. He is judicious and balanced in his explanations of how to create a truly superior brand for our times.

The book consists of 31 essays, each one a gem of insight and experience. I often found myself comparing what he wrote to what I had read elsewhere--or experienced personally--and found him many steps ahead. Reinventing the Brand is a lot of FUN when you're able to follow these connections!

You'll get more out of the book if you're beyond the basics. Kapferer doesn't spend much time explaining concepts that others have explored previously. But he is exquisitely direct and convincing when showing how to make better use of those good but imperfect ideas that tend to cloud your vision.

Rating:
Summary: One of my best Investments
Review: In several ways I think that (we) marketing people and advertising people in particular are conservative people. Or maybe I should say not very open to change, not very open to adjust, not very open to listen. It's more inside-out than outside-in. Therefore I think that "(Re)inventing the brand - the new realities of branding" is a MUST for everybody working in or with the advertising industry. It requires, however, an open mind and willingness to reconsider traditional thinking and practice. The book is like a good novel - hard to put away before the last page. And I think the one chapter "Energize the value chain of your brand" in itself makes the book one I my best investments.
Egil Braathe, MBA
Partner & Advisor; Movement Research & Consulting

Rating:
Summary: Marketing students would find this useful
Review: Marketing students would find this book useful, particularly if they are looking for case studies of European brands. The brands mentioned are: Adidas, Ariel, Décathlon, Coca-Cola, Orangina, Vache-Qui-Rit, Danone, L'Oréal, Nestlé, Nike, Nivea, Pepsi, Perrier, Peugeot, Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, Virgin, Vivendi, Volkswagen, Yoplait.

Overall, I found the book somewhat useful. Now when I go shopping with my wife, I look at the brands and I better appreciate what goes into marketing those brands and products.

Admittedly, my aim in reading the book was to learn more about how to reinvent a brand, but the book does not really tell me how to do it in detailed steps. Of course, that wasn't it's primary focus in the first place.