The Physics of Brand: Understand the Forces Behind Brands That Matter - Hardcover

Keller, Aaron; Marino, Renee; Wallace, Dan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1440342679 ISBN 13: 9781440342677

Publisher: HOW Books, 2016

Synopsis

If your organization wants to better understand customer experience and how it contributes to brand value, The Physics of Brand is the place to start. This book offers a practical framework that shows how brands interact with people in time and space -- to create value for people, brand owners, and society.

The authors leave a smile in your mind as they weave neuroscience, micro and macroeconomics and systems thinking into a narrative equally rewarding for general managers, marketers and finance leaders. If you think branding is limited to communication, sales conversions, or logo design, this book will expand your worldview. If you want a more precise method to value brands, this book will light your hair on fire. 

Through the Time Model, you'll learn why first moments are vital in creating long term brand memories, and you'll find out how to design moments that lead to emotional engagement. You will also learn why time spent with a brand is an important and under-appreciated indicator of brand energy. 

The Space Model shows how brands operate in the real world of Brand Owners, Brand Handlers, Communities and People. The Jacob's Ladder Model shows how brand signals ladder-up to brand value. These three models provide a new framework to assess the value of brands and provide the tools to design superior customer experiences.

The chapters ground the ideas in reality through case studies that include KIND, Smartwool, Patagonia and The Honest Company, with fun detours such as Snoop Dog and Willy Nelson sharing a bucket of KFC in an Amsterdam parking lot. The writing is as friendly as the ideas are elevated. Each chapter includes clear summaries, mind bending thought experiments and pleasant diversions.

This book is for leaders who want to improve the customer experience in a measurable way. The Physics of Brand will help you arrive at a rewarding destination. The book presents a brand-new way of thinking.

About this title

About the Author:

Aaron Keller is a founding partner at Capsule. For more than 20 years he has led national and international brands through consumer research, marketing strategy and brand development. Aaron has an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and taught integrated marketing at the University of St. Thomas as an adjunct professor. He's the author of three books and a popular speaker. When Aaron isn't in a seat on a plane, you're likely to find him on a bike heading across Iowa or the Rocky Mountains.
Dan Wallace is the founder of Idea Food. He works with leaders to connect the dots at the intersection of branding, marketing, customer experience and employee experience. Dan provides keynote presentations and leads workshops with cross-functional teams to design superior customer experiences. Dan holds an MBA based on systems thinking from the University of St. Thomas. He has won awards for innovation in both internal and external branding.

Renée Marino is the founder of Cupitor Consulting, a firm specializing in the financial aspects of brands and intangible assets. She has an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago and sits on the Board of Governors of the American Society of Appraisers. She holds credentials as a Certified Public Accountant, Accredited in Business Valuation from the American Institute of CPAs, an Accredited Senior Appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers and a Chartered Financial Analyst with the CFA Institute. Renee comes from a family of physicists and neuroscientists, but she zigged when the others zagged, and ended up working in dynamic system modeling and advanced financial studies.

Review:

"This should be your handbook for modern branding. The Physics of Brand is what most marketing books aren't--fun to read right from the first page, engaging and generous in its trove of brand knowledge, and up-to-this-minute current with how the marketplace works today."
—Mark Addicks
Former CMO, General Mills; Professor, Opus College of Business, University of St. Thomas

"The Physics of Brand is brilliant. It's about the five senses, memories, and our experience of offerings. It's about time, space, and moments that matter. And most fundamentally, it's about branding, and within its pages you will find profound insights into your own brand."
—B. Joseph Pine II
Bestselling Coauthor, The Experience Economy

"Blending a rigorous, near-scientific approach together with a sophisticated, humanistic focus on people's minds, souls, and behaviors, this book offers a comprehensive compendium of all the variables to consider for building valuable, memorable, and sustainable brands."
—Mauro Porcini
SVP & Chief Design Officer, PepsiCo

"Beautifully written, incredibly designed. This is a book that makes you look at the topic of branding with fresh eyes."
—Mark Ritson
Professor, Melbourne Business School, Australia; Columnist, Marketing Week

"The Physics of Brand gives equal time to the risks and opportunities of developing new brands--and the massive forces at play when managing and pivoting an existing brand platform. Big kudos to this team in their thoughtful, highly creative effort to bring humanity to the data and science of brand."
—Christopher Gavigan
Founder + Chief Product Officer, The Honest Company

"Making moments, accelerating velocity, building trust and creating value . . . The Physics of Brand mashes classic marketing and modern reality with thought experiments to provoke experienced and aspiring marketers alike."
—Jeff Jones
Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Target Corporation

"Finally, a branding tome for the Donald Trump haters of the world: Truthful and lushly illustrated with a thread of rye humor. Best read at lunchtime when you are most awake and ready to intake sensible business nourishment."
—Paco Underhill
Author, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping; CEO, Envirosell

"By emphasizing the importance of human experience and human memory as being at the center of the brand, the authors rightfully take their place as the natural successors to Aaker and Biel."
—Simon Chadwick
Managing Partner, Cambiar; Former CEO, Research International; Editor-in-Chief, Research World

"As we transition from the ‘industrial economy' into the ‘digital economy,' brand relevance is critical. Every brand is under new pressure to engage authentically with the next generation. The Physics of Brand is a playbook for every brand manager on this journey."
—David Butler
VP, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The Coca-Cola Company

"The Physics of Brand brings fresh thinking to the pace of change and complexity in today's marketing environment. Jammed with insights and case studies on design and customer experience that will juice your brand."
—Eric Ryan
Cofounder, Method & OLLY

"A wonderful balance of social sciences and hard sciences to provide a creative, thought-provoking, and powerful perspective to branding. It's Stephen Hawking meets Jane Goodall on branding. An engaging journey through the science and humanity of branding, from physics to ethnography."
—Mark Bergen
Associate Dean of Executive Education, James D. Watkins Chair in Marketing,
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

"Technology is rapidly changing the way consumers make purchases. The traditional processes for developing brand awareness are becoming obsolete. The authors of The Physics of Brand have developed processes for brand development in today's marketplace that are based on the physical sciences but include a touch of art. These processes should lead to overall value creation for the brand as well as the entire firm."
—Mark L. Zyla
Managing Director, Acuitas, Inc.; Author, Fair Value Measurement

"Like a chef's tasting menu, this cleverly prepared feast encourages readers to sample a new way to think about brands and branding. I loved every bite!"
—Judy Bell
CEO (Chief Energetic Officer), Energetic Retail; Author, Silent Selling

"For marketing and communication professionals looking to demystify the alchemy of branding--and to understand the marketing science behind what it takes to create a strong brand reputation--this is a great read."
—Stephen Hahn-Griffiths
Vice President of Strategy, Reputation Institute

"Effective marketing isn't about target markets, media buys, or even the latest technologies. It's about nurturing real relationships with real people through intentionally designed moments and the consistent delivery of promises. The Physics of Brand is a powerful tool for anyone charged with cultivating a company's most valuable asset, its brand."
—Mandy Cabot
Cofounder/CEO, Dansko

"This deep dive into branding is the modern equivalent of Ogilvy on Advertising--a fascinating look at how organizations influence people in using the most effective tools of the era."
—David Meerman Scott
Bestselling Author, The New Rules of Marketing & PR

"The Physics of Brand introduces the reader to a new level of thinking about brand; marketers, designers, entrepreneurs, and corporate CEOs take note. In order to create successful brands in the future, you need to intimately understand how brands and people move through time and space. This New Age of Branding requires an elegant approach that finesses the art and science of building a brand."
—Robyn Waters
Former VP, Trend, Design, & Product Development, Target;
Author, The Trendmaster's Guide and The Hummer and the Mini

"What do you get when you combine a scientific approach to branding with high creativity? A new approach to branding for the digital era. This book will help any marketing practitioner with a hands-on model make their brand the best it can be. Jacob's Ladder provides excellent guidance."
—Mark S. Coronna
Managing Director, Marks and Crown; Digital Marketer and Technology Executive

"The Physics of Brand is a refreshing new look at how brands build value across space and time. The book is a bold thought experiment that moves branding from art toward science."
—Richard McArdle
VP, Research and Innovation, ConAgra Brands

"Loved it! The art and science--or physics and feeling--creates a true difference in connecting to the hearts and minds of consumers. The Physics of Brand provides a compelling framework to think about creating enduring and iconic brands that can withstand the test of time."
—Chris Lindner
President, Keds

"The Physics of Brand mixes, in a very attractive way, complementary approaches to a brand-building process. Some concepts I believed in an almost intuitive way are now organized and explained with beautiful illustrations and world-known cases. Inspiring reading for human-centered designers and brand builders."
—Bruno Singulani
Brand Identity and Design Manager, Nestlé

"The Physics of Brand leaps out of the hackneyed rut too many marketing books are mired in. Geeks and non-geeks alike will lap up how the authors dive into brands through the lens of physical, biological, and behavioral sciences--and be pushed to rethink brands' relationships with customers on a more human level."
—Ari Osur
Former Forrester Research Analyst and Marketing & Strategy Practitioner

"This book is indispensable reading for those who are seeking to break the riddle of brand experience. It provides the power of understanding people's micro-interactions through time and space."
—Kevin Lee
VP and Global Head of Design, Visa

"A distinctively scientific, precise, and uncommonly sensible take on a subject all too often clouded by conjecture and hunches. If you're a brand leader, make The Physics of Brand a part of your strategic lexicon."
—Robert Fry
Global Director, Product Merchandising and Design, Mountain Hardwear

"Understanding the customer's journey and designing a consistently compelling customer experience are fundamental to modern marketing and brand building in the twenty-first century. The Physics of Brand leverages a mix of frameworks, systemic thinking, insightful discussion, and compelling case studies to introduce a new and holistic way of thinking about brands, branding, and customer-experience management. The Physics of Brand examines the times and spaces where brands and people meet--and how memories are created--thereby creating a helpful guide for building sustainable, differentiated, energetic, and profitable brands in an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace. Keller, Wallace, and Marino have written a practical and insightful book."
—Larry Ruff
Former Global Marketing & Chief Strategy Officer, Levi Strauss & Company

"In this new age of marketing where experts stumble over each other to bury the idea of brands hailing the return of the USP, it is truly gratifying to dive into that first spontaneous neurological combustion between brands and individuals and how brands inhabit space in our memory through time and space. Pump some neurons and get sucked into this brand-nerd extravaganza. As of now this book is my new daily brand protein shake. Bonus: Snoop and Willie Nelson will be reading along over your shoulder."
—Steen Albrechtslund
CEO, Fitness World, Denmark's Largest Fitness Brand

"The Physics of Brand demystifies the interactions of brand and the real world in contemporary and thought-provoking ways. It contemplates ideas about the future while being deeply rooted in factual evidence of today. Most important, the book will give you the tools to accelerate the velocity of your brand."
—Tobias Puehse
Vice President, Innovation Management, MasterCard

"A fun, intellectually nimble, and wide-ranging look into the pull of brands. From sections that start with Adam Smith and Karl Marx walking into a bar to riffs on understanding brands through philosopher Emmanuel Kant's eyes, the authors offer an engaging conversation on how memorable moments and lasting memories combine to create durable brands."
—Chris Farrell
Senior Economics Contributor, Marketplace, Minnesota Public Radio

Branding isn’t rocket science, but its practitioners benefit from learning other sciences—especially those of the mind and the heart. The Physics of Brand applies a meatier focus than the “soft touch” of most branding books. After all, even Albert Einstein has a brand—as you’ll learn from marketing experts Aaron Keller, Renée Marino and Dan Wallace. In an age when many consumers have tuned out traditional advertising, these shrewd authors look for new answers in the realms of neuroscience and physics. (Don’t worry—the science is very basic and explained by cheerful and well-designed diagrams!)

Rather than drifting off into space with fluffy descriptions of branding, the authors probe for a complete definition of what branding means. Case studies of some of today’s successful companies, like KIND
Snacks and SmartWool, as well as historical examples, like Singer Corporation, ground the authors’ theories in reality so that other designers can apply the lessons. The authors also avoid the trap that many advertisers fall into: measuring views and clicks willy-nilly. Instead, the book builds an argument for tracking “moments” over minutes, tapping into consumers’ more lasting emotional memories—one might even say “seminal” memories (you’ll learn some smart-sounding terms to impress your clients). 

To help the reader digest abstract ideas, the book is written in an amusing, familiar tone, like a science lesson delivered by your funniest friend. Welcome tangents lead to such unexpected stories as Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson sharing a joint over a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Brands shouldn’t be boring—and learning about them shouldn’t be either.

—Rebecca Huval

About this edition

• Publisher: HOW Books
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1440342679
• ISBN 13: 9781440342677
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192