Jonathan Salem Baskin

Most people don t know it yet, but branding is dead. Of course, we need to know about the things we want to buy, but the billions of pounds spent on logos, sponsorships, and jingles have little if anything to do with consumer behaviour. For example: -Dinosaur-headed execs in Microsoft ads didn't help sell software. -Citibank's artsy "live richly" billboards didn't prompt a single new account. -United Airlines' animated TV commercials didn't fill more seats on airplanes. In Branding Only Works on Cattle, branding guru Jonathan Salem Baskin reveals that modern consumers are harder to find, more difficult to convince, and even harder to retain. They make decisions based on experience so what matters isn t how creative, cool, or memorable the advertising is, but how companies can affect consumer behaviour. Marketing communications, distribution strategies, and customer service are all contributing to the new branding. This book will be the essential guide to understanding and thriving on this new branding dynamic.

Truth is a powerful marketing tool-and really the only way to promote a message and brand effectively. Truth in advertising has long been something to ignore, or at least downplay. The role of advertising has been to position and manipulate brands to convince consumers that they're imbued with qualities they don't necessarily possess, or presume to tell them which ones matter. It worked when the brand's voice was the only voice, but with the rise of social media that era is over. Marketers have focused their messages on entertainment, creating funny or engaging campaigns that win awards but don't always sell products. Consumers determine what's true, and smart companies have realized that every communications medium can and will be used to contribute to those conclusions. In Tell the Truth, Jonathan Baskin and Sue Unerman look at the content and context of marketing communications. They provide the research of hundreds of companies and in-depth case studies on more than 50 global brands to show us that truthful brands deliver sales, profits, and sustainable relationships. Truth truly yields true competitive advantage.

Most people don’t know it yet, but branding is dead. Of course, we need to know about the things we want to buy, but the billions of pounds spent on logos, sponsorships, and jingles have little – if anything – to do with consumer behaviour. For example: -Dinosaur-headed execs in Microsoft ads didn't help sell software. -Citibank's artsy "live richly" billboards didn't prompt a single new account. -United Airlines' animated TV commercials didn't fill more seats on airplanes. In Branding Only Works on Cattle, branding guru Jonathan Salem Baskin reveals that modern consumers are harder to find, more difficult to convince, and even harder to retain. They make decisions based on experience – so what matters isn’t how creative, cool, or memorable the advertising is, but how companies can affect consumer behaviour. Marketing communications, distribution strategies, and customer service are all contributing to the new branding. This book will be the essential guide to understanding and thriving on this new branding dynamic.

Most people don't know it yet, but branding is dead. Sure, we need to know about the stuff we want to buy, but the billions of dollars spent on logos, sponsorships, and jingles have little, if anything, to do with actual consumer behavior. For example: -Dinosaur-headed execs in Microsoft ads didn't help sell software. -Citibank's artsy "live richly" billboards didn't prompt a single new account. -United Airlines' animated TV commercials didn't fill more seats on airplanes. As branding guru Jonathan Baskin reveals, modern consumers are harder to find, more difficult to convince, and near-impossible to retain. They make decisions based on experience - so what matters isn't how creative, cool, or memorable the advertising is, but how companies can directly target consumer behavior. Pretty pictures and funny taglines should be an after-thought: brands must target what consumers actually do. How companies affect behavior - whether via marketing communications, distribution strategies, or customer service - is how branding is being reborn. This book will be the essential guide to understanding and thriving on this new branding dynamic.