BrandDigital: Simple Ways Top Brands Succeed in the Digital World

By Allen P. Adamson

In his best-selling book, BrandSimple: How the Best Brands Keep it Simple and Succeed, Allen P. Adamson showed in a straightforward manner how powerful brands get built. In a similarly engaging style, BrandDigital explains that in the quickly accelerating digital marketplace the basic principles of branding have not changed, but rather, are more important than ever. He clearly demonstrates that brand professionals have an unprecedented opportunity to use digital tools and media to learn more about their customers and offer experiences that better reinforce customer relationships - and build brand equity. Based on over 100 interviews with top branding professionals, Adamson makes his point with case studies from companies including Ameriprise, Burger King, General Mills, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble. He provides numerous examples of why, particularly in the digital arena, it's never been more important to gain significant insights about consumers; to establish a simple, compelling, and credible brand promise; and to make good on this promise. Along with putting into proper context the role Google, YouTube, Second Life, social media, and blogs play in the branding process, Adamson shows how the best companies are taking advantage of evolving digital technology to build stronger brands and stronger bonds with their customers.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0230606040
• ISBN13: 9780230606043
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 274 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Glen Gilbert

Adamson really appears to have done his homework in interviewing as many people as he did (all of whom know their stuff and offer interesting perspectives) and then synthesizing their input into something that's easily digested and applied. I read and liked his Brand Simple a couple of years ago, but given where the world is headed, this book is probably more relevant and important for today's marketeer.

A Digitial Survival Guide for the Current Recession

At a time when recession promises another culling of the on-line business world, Brand Digital offers both a survival guide for brands at risk and a consolidation guide for strong brands seeking to exploit weaker competitors. Grounded in interviews with over 100 industry leaders, this book provides valuable context for the shift we have seen from the internet as a transactional medium to its new role as a relationship medium. In many industries the internet is now the primary medium for interacting with customers. Adamson walks the reader through the many levels of customer relationships the digital world offers for your business and brand. His first piece of advice is the digital equivalent of "Get out of the office and into the field talking to customers" (my phrasing not his). Adamson gives sound practical examples of the many ways managers in various industries are using the internet to engage with and learn from their customers outside of the transaction process. Adamson then walks the reader through techniques for how to take what they learn on-line from customers and use it to hone product or service strategy, surrounding information services, brand image, and marketing strategies. He explores how to process the stream of customer information and make the trade-offs required for a focused, clear product strategy and brand image. Finally, he gives practical advice on making customer learning and product/brand refinement a continuous, evolving process. Many concrete examples from various industries keep the theorizing limited and the simple, practical ideas front and center. The only shortcoming is that one would normally expect more visual content (charts, pictures, etc.) in a book about the visually-intensive digital world. But this small shortcoming is outweighed by the exceptional content of this book. Net/net, an extremely valuable read for those who want to emerge from the recession with deeper relationships and stronger brand images across many more customers.

"BrandDigital"

Timely. Allen Adamson's "BrandDigital" is a fantastic study of the current Digital Marketplace thru the lens of classic principles in effective brand management. In the past decade the 'traditional' language of communications has been put into a high octane blender. "BrandDigital" explains thru relevant business anecdotes how today's game changing strategies all seem to contain those same fundamental values in successful brand building. I suggest you read it once and then read it again with a pen.

Another winner

Allen again hits the nail on the head. His insights into branding are clear and concise. He includes great lessons that I wish my MBA students would all learn. Nathan Novemsky Associate Professor of Marketing Yale University

Great perspective. Great Read. Must for digital, brand, and marketing pros.

This book presents important insights that should become a must read for anyone in either the worlds of brands or the digital space, and by anyone interested in how ideas and brands play in the digital world. As we begin to take brands for granted in the digital age, Adamson wisely reigns us in and reminds us that brand is where the value of the company is stored. This idea is even more powerful in the digital space where value creation (or destruction) can happen in an instant. The author is remarkable at keeping theory relevant by using cases, brands, and the actual players to illustrate his point. BrandDigital is a very engaging read as it takes you behind the scenes giving the details of successes that are highly entertaining and informative. An excellent addition to the ever changing conversation about our rapidly changing world.