Capsule review:

Rating: 

Pluses: Full of useful advice about powerful and effective branding from a pioneer in product branding. The text is bolstered by numerous case studies of successful (and not so successful) branding, as well as useful exercises for brand developers and managers.
Minuses: May be a little too basic for some readers, and some may find the plethora of case studies a bit tedious. Some of the information is dated.

Details: If you have been exposed to any marketing advice at all within the past fifteen years or so – whether through books or other information products, seminars, or classes – it’s quite possible that you have been saturated with information and advice about branding. We live in a time when even individuals are encouraged to “brand” themselves, and branding seems to be a perennially hot topic. Even so, believes BrandSimple author Allen P. Adamson, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. In the process of developing branding into a science as well as an art, those in the industry have often made the whole undertaking too complicated, when what is most urgently needed to develop a powerful brand is simplicity.

The modern concept of product brands has been around at least since the nineteenth century, though it picked up speed in the early 1900s and really began to come of age in the 1940s, when marketers became more aware of how brand loyalty could be created and sustained. Only within the past couple of decades, however, has “branding” become an industry in and of itself, spawning vast numbers of branding experts (and would-be experts) and branding companies – and, of course, branding books. Therein lies the problem, according to Adamson. He acknowledges that a few exceptional branding firms exist, and presumably includes Landor Associates – the company of which he is Managing Director – among these. However, he believes that almost as many companies have diverted the branding business far from its originally intended purpose.

He cites, for example, his amazement when frustrated clients hand him the 300-plus page reports that have been produced for them by other branding organizations. He describes these documents as “process-laden tomes” that “look more like academic papers on advanced economics than solutions to simple customer needs.” They’re packed, he notes, with buzzwords and obscure concepts that are probably only understandable to a highly trained branding expert.

The branding books that abound are not much better, Adamson says. His own office bookcase is overflowing with branding books that he believes utterly fail to take the mystery out of the process, instead only making it more confusing. He wrote BrandSimple so there would finally be a book as clear and simple as the brands about which it is written.

“A brand,” writes Adamson, “should not be complex, confusing, or mysterious in any way.” It should be simple, because people use brands as shortcuts to make purchase decisions. The smart marketer makes sure his or her brand is based upon an uncomplicated, clearly defined idea, aligned with a clearly defined business strategy. For instance, the discount retailer Target’s business strategy is to make money selling an array of consumer goods at a discounted price, from clothing to housewares to packaged foods. Its brand strategy is to demonstrate that less expensive goods can still be cool and stylish. Having a clearly defined brand and business strategy makes it easier for the entire organization to instantly and effectively signal to consumers what makes their brand different – and why this difference is worth caring about.

Adamson cautions that “simple” and “simplistic” are far from being the same thing He notes that it takes rigorous thinking, focus, and discipline to reach the powerful but simple idea that drives the brand. It also requires vision and the ability to think in a creative, less than obvious manner.

A pioneer in the field of brand development, Adamson counts among his many major clients firms such as GE, IBM, Procter & Gamble, and PepsiCo. He began his career in the late 1970s at the famous ad agency Ogilvy & Mather, when the agency’s retired co-founder, David Ogilvy, would occasionally pop in to the office and chat with the young account executives such as Adamson. From Ogilvy & Mather, Adamson was recruited to the “client side” as a brand manager at Lever Brothers. After a few years with Lever he decided his skills and interests lay in the conceptual and creative aspects of the business, so he returned to advertising, and honed his skills at the ad agency Benton & Bowles for many years before joining Landor and really hitting his stride.

In a sense BrandSimple reads like a journal of Adamson’s career, for it is as much about his own resume as it is a book of branding advice. In this regard the book is somewhat reminiscent of David Ogilvy’s Mad Men-era classic, Confessions of an Advertising Man. Though it is heavily stamped with the author’s own brand, as it were BrandSimple is also packed with real branding advice and tips, as well as with illustrative examples of branding successes and blunders. As a bonus, many of the chapters have potentially useful exercises for brand developers and their team members. Regarding the latter, perhaps one of the most important aspects of branding is getting one’s entire organization on board with the branding effort, and Adamson devotes an entire chapter to that topic. All in all, he provides a good mix of theory and case study in these pages.

That said, some readers might find this book a little too basic. Branding doesn’t have to be complicated and the author argues that it shouldn’t be; nevertheless, his treatment of the subject seems a little superficial in places. Some people might grow tired of constantly reading case studies.

Then there is the classic curse of the printed book: dated material. The world is constantly changing, and certain events that have transpired in the few years since BrandSimple was published tend to neutralize some of the author’s points. For instance, Adamson devotes several pages to praising BP (formerly known as British Petroleum), describing the branding makeover the company underwent as it expanded its vision “Beyond Petroleum,” and ultimately became simply “BP.” He showcases the external and internal branding signals that told the world BP was a force to be reckoned with in the sustainable/green movement. But all of that was written before the Deepwater Horizon spill in April of 2010. Still, the history of BP’s branding efforts is interesting, even if it is now tinged with irony.

All things considered, is BrandSimple a worthwhile read for the typical small business owner, particularly one who isn’t involved in creating or sustaining his or her own product line? Probably so. As is the case with many business books, even if BrandSimple doesn’t have direct applicability, the alert reader is bound to pick up some branding tips that can help make his or her business stand out. Whether the business sells primarily products, services, or a combination of both. Even the casual reader who is simply interested in the history of brands will find something of interest here (the “Really Short” chapter on the history of brands is fascinating in and of itself). Limitations aside, BrandSimple is a useful addition to the literature of branding, written by an author who knows the territory.

* BrandSimple is currently available in hardcover and paperback. Amazon link for paperback print version reviewed here: www.amazon.com/BrandSimple-Best-Brands-Simple-Succeed/dp/1403984905

For more information about the book and the concept of BrandSimple, see http://www.brandsimple.com.

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The author of this review was provided the book by Capital Access Network, Inc.  The views expressed represent those of the author and do not reflect those of Capital Access Network, Inc. nor its subsidiaries. Any opinions and/or advice expressed by the author do not imply endorsement by Capital Access Network, Inc. nor its subsidiaries.