Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/59979
Some people love their brand-name prod- ucts; they wouldn't buy anything else. Some people simply don't care.What accounts for the difference, and how can a company inspire brand loyalty that amounts to a lifelong commit- ment? Those eternal questions are examined inMarried to the Brand, written byWilliam J.McEwen and drawing on consumer research con- ducted by the Gallup Organization. "The brands that thrive offer a return to the cus- tomer, whether it's tangible or intangible, rational or emotional," writes McEwen. While he admits the four classic P's of marketing—product, place, price, and promotion—contribute to a brand's identity, he argues that a fifth P—people—is even more essential to helping consumers develop an emo- tional connection with a brand. Even so, he warns, it takes time to build brand affection into a brand marriage that will last for a customer's lifetime. (Gallup Press, $24.95) If a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, there might be a typhoon in Japan—and somewhere, an international com- pany that must deal with the result- ing chaos. The interconnectedness of global enterprise and its suscepti- bility to a whole host of potential disasters are made frighteningly clear in Yossi Sheffi's The Resilient Enterprise. He posits that the global supply chain almost ensures that every company will face major busi- ness disruptions on a more or less continual basis and that the only way for a com- pany to survive is to anticipate disasters and figure out ahead of time what it will do if one hits. This requires build- ing redundancy into the supply chain, avoiding customization, and think- ing about unpleasant events, he says: "1. What can go wrong? 2. What is the likelihood of that happening? 3. What are the con- sequences if it does happen?" The possibilities are truly alarming, but his recipes for recovery offer reassur- ance in a hazardous world. (The MIT Press, $29.96) A good advertising team will come up with an idea for a memorable ad, but a great team will come up with an insight that can serve as the basis of an ongoing campaign for years to come. In ThenWe SetHisHair On Fire, former ad executive Phil Dusenberry offers both ideas and insights in plentiful measure. Though written in a jaunty style, the book has a serious message about understand- ing the pur- pose of a business and learning how to convey that purpose to the gener- al public. Dusenberry discusses the essentials of launching a business or creating consumer aware- ness and the magical moments that can cause everything to come together. Dusenberry is an entertain- ing storyteller, illustrating his points through anecdotes that range from his golf game to classic moments in the lives of famous CEOs. And the title? It refers to a Pepsi commercial involving Michael Jackson; a late chapter in the book gives all the horrifying and spectacular details. Like the rest of the book, it makes a point about how to make an impact and how to profit it from it when you do. (Portfolio, $24.95) To survive, companies need to grow and change—and sometimes they need to design radical new products or processes that rely on wholly unfamil- iar business models but offer the chance of tremen- dous new revenue. That type of think- ing is known as strategic innova- tion, and Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble dis- sect it in 10 Rules for Strategic Innovators. An innovative offshoot division of a mature company must meet three challenges: It must forget some of the rules and structures that made the core company successful; it must borrow some of the parent company's assets; and it must learn how to succeed in an unfamiliar mar- ket. The execution of a great idea is even more difficult and more critical than formulating the idea in the first place, say the authors. The book showcases companies that have developed new products outside the scope of their normal operations— and become hugely successful. (Harvard Business Press, $29.95) s z BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 55