Brands and Branding (The Economist) - Hardcover

With contributions from leading brand experts around the world, this valuable resource delineates the case for brands (financial value, social value, etc.) and looks at what makes certain brands great. It covers best practices in branding and also looks at the future of brands in the age of globalization.

Although the balance sheet may not even put a value on it, a company’s brand or its portfolio of brands is its most valuable asset. For well-known companies it has been calculated that the brand can account for as much as 80 percent of their market value.

This book argues that because of this and because of the power of not-for-profit brands like the Red Cross or Oxfam, all organisations should make the brand their central organising principle, guiding every decision and every action. As well as making the case for brands and examining the argument of the anti-globalisation movement that brands are bullies which do harm, this second edition of Brands and Branding provides an expert review of best practice in branding, covering everything from brand positioning to brand protection, visual and verbal identity and brand communications. Lastly, the third part of the book looks at trends in branding, branding in Asia, especially in China and India, brands in a digital world and the future for brands.

Written by 19 experts in the field, Brands and Branding sets out to provide a better understanding of the role and importance of brands, as well as a wealth of insights into how one builds and sustains a successful brand.

About the Contributors

Rita Clifton is a leading authority on brands and is chairman of Interbrand London. Prior to this, she was vice chairman at Saatchi & Saatchi. She is a Visiting Professor at Henley Management College and the editor of the book The Future of Brands.

Sameena Ahmad has been The Economist's consumer industries correspondent based in London and New York, and the Asia business and finance writer based in Hong Kong.

Tony Allen is CEO of brand consultancy Fortune Street having previously been a director of corporate identity firm Newell and Sorrell.

Simon Anholt advises governments on national identity and reputation, and publishes the Nation Brands Index and City Brands Index.

Patrick Barwise is emeritus professor of management and marketing at London Business School.

Tom Blackett is the author of Trademarks and co-editor of Co-branding: The Science of Alliance and Brand Medicine. He was with the Interbrand Group for 25 years.

Deborah Bowker is the principal at Deborah Bowker Communications & Consulting. Previously she was a managing director at Burson-Marsteller and director of PricewaterhouseCoopers' Centre of Excellence for Strategic Communications.

Jonathan Chajet manages Interbrand's business in China and oversees strategy for the Asia-Pacific region.

Deborah Doane is head of sustainable consumption at WWF-UK having previously been programme director of Transforming Markets at the New Economics Foundation in London.

Iain Ellwood is head of consulting at the London office of Interbrand. He leads the strategy, brand valuation and analytics, and brand engagement teams.

Paul Feldwick worked for over 30 years at bmp, now ddb London. He is a visiting research fellow at the Centre for Research into Advertising and Consumption (CRIAC) at the University of Bath School of Management and works as a consultant.

Jez Frampton is the global CEO of Interbrand, responsible for managing the firm's worldwide interests and enhancing the strategic and creative offering.

Giles Gibbons is co-founder (with Steve Hilton) and CEO of Good Business, one of Europe's leading corporate responsibility consultancies.

Andy Hobsbawm established the first international web agency in 1994 and has been European chairman of Agency.com, a digital marketing firm, since 2005. He also co-founded the award-winning public service Dothegreenthing.com.

Jan Lindemann is a leading authority on value-based brand management and the impact of brands and other intangibles on shareholder value.

Allan Poulter is a partner at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP, a London-based law firm, practising within its Trade Marks and Brand Protection Group.

Maxwell Raison is a strategy director at Interbrand London, responsible for developing and delivering strategic solutions for clients.

John Simmons is a consultant and author who specialises in the role of language in branding. He is series editor of Great Brand Stories, and author of books in that series on Starbucks, Arsenal and Innocent Drinks.

Shaun Smith is a leading expert in helping organisations create and deliver customer experiences that differentiate their brands. He is also author of several books, including See, Feel, Think, Do: The Power of Instinct in Business.