Boost your brand! List of the best branding books of all time sorted by rating. The most popular and recommended brand building books.
Building a StoryBrand
Recommended by: Dave RamseyIt is how you will build clean, compelling brand messaging that will drive customer engagement. It is based on storytelling principles to help readers put their brand in a position where it acts like a guide helping heroes (customers) surmount their challenges. A step-by-step process of creating a "BrandScript" to clarify a message and create marketing materials that will resound.Purple Cow
Recommended by: Jay-ZBestselling author Seth Godin brings forth the concept of the "Purple Cow" in a world full of advertisements and products, emphasizing the necessity to stand out with something so uniquely remarkable that it grabs the attention of one and all. This book on brand creation suggests that traditional forms of marketing are no longer feasible and that innovation is the key to success. By focusing on turning out products and services that are themselves worthy of note, a company can ensure that it captures the interest of its public. An absolute essential for anyone who wishes to stand out in a crowded market, this book gives concrete advice on how to become a Purple Cow in your industry.Marketing Made Simple
Although it's not Donald Miller's book, this results-driven, no-nonsense guide to creating a marketing plan that really delivers business results is still relevant today in the age of digital marketing. It cuts through to the core of the elements of an effective marketing strategy: from defining a target audience to creating a persuasive message and channel selection that will reach your customers. Full of case studies and examples from successful businesses of all sizes.Positioning
A seminal work that first introduced the idea of product/brand positioning. Success is based on one's ability to stake out a unique position in the mind of the customer, based on its needs and perceptions in relation to its competitors. Includes strategies for staking and defending a powerful market position with compelling value propositions. Must-read for every marketer, advertiser, and business strategist.The Brand Gap
Marty Nejson Neumeier describes an influential piece of work to define "the brand gap" as the distance between business strategy and customer experience. A practical framework of how companies can fill this gulf and create iconic brands that will change culture, the book investigates in great details how great companies will express purposes through design, culture, and innovation. Neumeier's engaging, conversational style makes a really good case for the strategic importance of branding within the modern business landscape; it gives leaders actionable guidance in how to differentiate their offerings and build the kind of customer loyalty that lasts for a long time.The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
Now, two of the most respected branding consultants present the wisdom of a branding book that's the bible for Fortune 500 companies. From the power of focus to the role of leadership, real-world examples light up the immutable laws leading brand success. In the brand strategy and positioning readers, the book clearly illustrates, with clarity and conviction, what equips them to build insights that would help navigate a competitive marketplace and iconic, category-defining brands.How Brands Grow
Marketing scientist Byron Sharp is against common thinking in the branding theory and provides evidence to offer principles that ground research. Sharp develops basic rules for how customers actually select and use brands with an approach that is data-driven. It bestows marketers with a pragmatic framework of how to grow brands that can compete favorably even in tough markets.Hello, My Name Is Awesome
How to create memorable, compelling brand names that cut through the noise in the most crowded marketplace. It brings with it a proven process for generating name ideas, testing them with customers, and nailing down trademark protection. Hundreds of examples of great—and not-so-great—brand names from many industries, complete with in-depth analysis of why they work or don't.Zag
This book by branding guru Marty Neumeier challenges businesses to "zag" when competitors "zig," emphasizing the importance of creating a unique brand in a crowded market. Using fascinating case studies of superlative companies, Neumeier elucidates just how to rise above the competition with a brand that becomes a distinctive, ownable identity. By delving into aspects of human psychology, this quick, inspiring read serves as a great companion for anyone looking to create a truly distinct and highly memorable brand.The Brand Flip
One of the best branding books out there, Marty Neumeier's work digs into how social media has shifted the balance of power between the brand and consumer. He outlines the new customer experiences model for the brand, emphasizing the importance of conducting research to understand the target audience. This game-changing book equips businesses with strategies on how to adjust and strive to tap into this era where customers progressively define and champion the brands they love, ultimately building a successful brand in the modern landscape.Book of Branding
Creative Director Radim Malinic presents Book of Branding: a colorful, detailed roadmap on how to build a stand-out brand, offering a fresh approach to branding. The book brings together practical advice with inspirational case studies of successful world-class work, and it condenses all the essentials of building a brand: from visual identity and product design to brand strategy and from tone of voice to the brand world. The friendly, highly visual work by Malinic empowers his readers—maybe entrepreneurs, designers, or marketing professionals—to create a real, engaging brand that just might be able to cut through in a crowded marketplace and build an intimate relationship with its target market.Identity Designed
This comprehensive book covers everything you need to know about creating a brand identity and designing powerful, memorable visual aspects of branding. It guides readers through the entire branding process, from research and strategy to design and implementation. The book includes case studies of successfully branded projects from all over the world, with insight from top designers and agencies. It also offers practical advice on managing client relationships, presenting work, and building a successful design career.Building Strong Brands
Aaker's book is a must-read among books to read for anyone in the field, serving as an essential guide for the whole branding process. It presents a thorough model of creating and managing strong brands—from brand identity, brand equity through associations, to driving loyalty, and leveraging brand assets. The text provides many valuable insights, emphasizing the development of depth in understanding customers, competitors, and one's capabilities. This foundational work is indispensable for brand strategists and managers.Branding
World-renowned designer Michael Johnson delves deep into everything and anything that needs to be known about branding in this authoritative, visually stunning exploration of the art and science of the subject. The book traces the development of the brand identity from early roots in several industries. Johnson translates his visionary insights into life examples of expertly curated brand design. This master class is a comprehensive how-to in crafting a memorable, meaningful brand experience that will touch people both rationally and emotionally.How to Launch a Brand
This book is a must-have among books on branding, providing a step-by-step guide to the launch of a new brand or rebranding of an existing one. It covers major issues, including the definition of a brand's mission and purpose, market research, the development of a brand strategy and design, and the creation of a strong visual identity with compelling illustration. The book includes case studies of successful brands, interviews with successful entrepreneurs and branding experts, practical tools, and templates to develop a brand launch plan and measure success.Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits
This essential guide for the whole world of branding features designer Debbie Millman as she hosts open talks with some of the leading brand thinkers. The talks provide everything you need to gain a layered understanding of branding, taking you through the history of its development with a particular emphasis on the increasing role of emotion in driving brands to grow. Millman's curation descends into principles, challenges, and vectors of this incredibly dynamic field, offering practical knowledge on crafting compelling visual branding.Sticky Branding
Branding Strategist is the detailed blueprint of Jeremy Miller in building memorable, sticky brands that cut through the noise to ensnare customers. It combines research, case studies, JSON, and pratical advice to take an inside look at how businesses with an unwavering commitment to brand loyalty build that brand by providing outstanding customer experiences and capitalizing on their differentiating strengths to always be solidifying that differentiating value proposition.Designing Brand Identity
Recommended by: David FriedbergEvery organization wants to have an identity—helping it stand out and be distinct from the competition. Wheeler and Meyerson forge a theory of "branding" that offers a framework of the brand-building process itself with identification of specific methodologies through which compelling brand images can be imagined and created. Focuses on the process through which truly revolutionary discoveries are made.Building Distinctive Brand Assets
Divided into three main sections, this book is a comprehensive guide to creating and managing the distinct assets that define a brand: logos, colors, packaging, and advertising style. It uses research and case studies from leading brand consultancy firms to demonstrate how robust brand assets drive recognition, recall, and loyalty. It also gives a model for auditing and optimization of the portfolio of brand assets and ways of protecting and leveraging the assets with time. This book is valuable reading for marketers and brand managers who want to build a strong brand with great memorability.Brand New
It's a great book where you can learn from brand expert Wally Olins as he gives an account of historical brands and explains the changing principles and practices that have made branding what it is today. This comprehensive work serves as a guide to creating a great brand and will leave the reader much enlightened on how branding has arrived at its present state as a focus of the modern commercial and cultural landscape.
