From Wall Street Journal’s Opinion Journal, here is a summary of the five best books covering advertising to window dressing according to Steve Cone, Senior Marketing Executive at Citigroup:
1. “Understanding Media” by Marshall McLuhan (MIT Press, 1964).
I have no idea who might be the smartest human ever, but the most brilliant marketing mind of all belonged to Marshall McLuhan. “Understanding Media” is a timeless analysis of how language, speech and technology shape human behavior in the era of mass communication.
2. “Brand Sense” by Martin Lindstrom (Free Press, 2005).
Of all the books I have read on marketing, “Brand Sense” is the most dog-eared. Martin Lindstrom makes a strong case that engaging the five senses is crucial to selling a brand.
3. “Reality in Advertising” by Rosser Reeves (Knopf, 1961).
Rosser Reeves is not as well-known as the advertising giants of his era, such as David Ogilvy, Leo Burnett and Bill Bernbach, but he was every bit their peer. Reeves originated many of the concepts–including what he called the “unique selling proposition”–that make the difference between marketing success and failure.
4. “Why We Buy” by Paco Underhill (Simon & Schuster, 1999).
So you go to the mall, pop into a handful of stores and walk out with a few shopping bags–mission accomplished. Understanding how retailers can facilitate that experience is the particular talent of shopping-pattern researcher Paco Underhill.
5. “Branded Nation” by James B. Twitchell (Simon & Schuster, 2004).
James B. Twitchell begins “Branded Nation” by asserting that “the secret to great brands is that they are often nonsensical.” After all, what’s golden about McDonald’s? What’s real about Coke? Among the endless number of books churned out each year that try to explain brand success, this is the best overview of the rules of the road.
For more, check out the original source article.
