Product Description

Marketing expert, social media guru, and mega-trendsetter Rohit Bhargava explains how faceless companies don't work anymore. In a world where consumers have more access to information than ever, and more power to share their voice...a brand's identity is no longer controlled through marketing and advertising. In this new era, what you say your brand stands for is no longer good enough. What you demonstrate to your customers matters most. This is the power of your personality. Personality Not Included is an essential guide for brands on putting back the missing ingredient in their marketing to build loyal customers, foster consumer (and employee) evangelists, and create a connection that goes beyond profit. The future of business requires new authenticity. Personality is the secret weapon that brings authentic brands to life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #93572 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 302 pages

From the Back Cover

“Personality Not Included breaks down the old barriers between marketing, advertising, and PR and shows you how to nail the single objective of it all: creating powerful conversations with your customers and getting them to choose you over the rest.”
-Timothy Ferriss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek

“Just being pretty isn't enough anymore, today a brand also needs a strong personality to survive. In Personality Not Included, Rohit gives you the techniques and tools to help your brand go from wallflower to social butterfly.”
-Laura Ries, bestselling author of 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, cofounder of Ries & Ries

“If there is one book I recommend every client and every agency person read right now, it's Personality Not Included. Every chapter gives you new ways to navigate an increasingly complex marketing landscape with clarity, nimbleness, and pragmatism.”
-Carla Hendra, Chairman, Ogilvy New York, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Ogilvy North America

“There are two types of small business owners-ones that know they are in the business of marketing and those that don't. For either, Personality Not Included is an eye-opening look at what really matters when it comes to delighting your customers.”
-John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing

About the Author

Rohit Bhargava is SVP of Digital Strategy and a founding member of the 360 Digital Influence group at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, one of the world's largest marketing and communications agencies. He authors the award-winning Influential Marketing blog (rohitbhargava.typepad.com), is a sought after marketing speaker, and has been featured in media worldwide including The Wall Street Journal, Marketing China, and BrandWeek. Read about Rohit's latest updates and appearances at www.aboutrohit.com.

www.personalitynotincluded.com

Customer Reviews

Marketing's New Rock Star?
An innovative book in so many ways - the structure; the layout; the design; the marketing -- all uber innovative. But what really counts is the content - and Rohit just nails it.

Rohit Bhargava is right up there with the likes of Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki. Why? Because he tells it like it is. There's no jargonistic BS in this book. Just plenty of (super cool) examples and global ones at that - Rohit shows a refreshing awareness that we don't all live in the USA!

The whole of Part Two is devoted to what to do with the revelations laid out in Part One. Yes - read this book and Rohit will tell you what to do for your business (though, to be honest I already had a page full of notes about things to do/improvements to make/nuggets to share from each of the chapters in part one as they unfolded - that's how enlightening it is).

This book isn't just for marketers. It isn't just for trendy start-ups. It is for any business - from solopreneurs through to blue chip. It is also relevant to anyone in any position in the work place - anyone who wants to make a difference that is.

If you love Seth Godin, or Guy Kawasaki then you'll love Rohit Bhargava. If you've no idea who any of these people are, but are looking for a refreshing and up-to-the-minute business read, then you could do no better. You won't be able to resist taking action during and after this one.

Marketing Book of 2008
"The moment that organisations lose their personality is when their employees become "people" rather than individuals...".

As many of my readers and friends know. I'm very much in touch with the "human side of business", especially forming a connection with people. Revealing, the honest, sincere and human side of your business to your customers has repeatedly proved to be a good thing. It's the key to delighting them and making sure they stay with us for a very long time.

Rohit Bhargava as an author is right up there with the likes of Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki. Why? Because he tells it like it is. Jargon is left at the door and the book uses great worldwide examples of excellent personality branding. It's nice to see an American author who shows a refreshing awareness that we all don't live in America!

Wow. I must admit, Rohit actually had me at "hello" with this book. The book brings together, my own personal experiences of business differentiation. Learning, from companies such as Moo and Innocent Drinks (Also mentioned in the book). Rohit did an excellent job of drawing me in with his great writing style and a clear passion for the subject.

Throughout the book he provides many examples of businesses which are successfully using the techniques within the book. The case studies were almost enough to sell me the book alone. However, learning about each technique and then being given an interesting and detailed example of how each idea can be implemented in real life was fantastic. It was was great to see Steve, Hugh and the Blue Monster also getting a mention - Rock On!

Personality Not Included successfully leads the reader through the process of building a company personality. Rohit's approach impressed me in a number of ways. Firstly he outlined all the key elements. I especially liked his "UAT Filter"- the three core qualities of a company personality:

Unique
Authentic
Talkable

Spot on. Secondly, he presented great examples from several companies for each element.

As I finished reading Part 1, Rohit did something that many marketing writers do not usually do. He wrote a "Part 2. The second part of the book focuses on how to put the discussion in Part 1 into action. To further guide the reader through the process, Rohit provides a number of tools and frameworks to help. The book is broken down into the following chapters:

Part One

Chapter 1 - Faceless used to work because big meant credible. This is no longer true

Chapter 2 - Accidental spokespeople are speaking for your brand - Embrace them

Chapter 3 - Uniqueness plus Authenticity plus Talkability equals personality. Use the UAT Filter

Chapter 4 - Backstories establish a foundation of credibility. You need onq.

Chapter 5 - Fear of change leads to barriers. Finding your authority overcomes them

Chapter 6 - Personality moments are everywhere and unexpected, but you must spot them

Part Two - (Putting Personality into Action)

* New Styles of Marketing (Ten Techniques are Described in Detail)
* Taking Theory Further (Tools and Guides to Accompany Chapters 1 - 6)

The key theme from the first half of the book is that personality matters, because it is the element of your brand that inspires loyalty more than any product feature or element of your service ever can.

Rohit reminds the reader, that consumers aren't just buying a product or service from you. They are buying "into" a whole experience. If they find the experience positive, they are very likely to purchase again, and/or recommend your business to others. As a text book, Personality not Included could also be used to boost your own "Personal Branding".

If you love Seth Godin, or Guy Kawasaki then you'll love Rohit Bhargava. If you are looking for a refreshing and up-to-the-minute business read, then you could do no better.

To conclude, Bhargava's marketing experiences with the world's leading companies has produced the definitive book that explains "Personality Branding", in a practical, understandable and actionable way. I can't recommend this book highly enough for any entrepreneur, business person, or anyone who wants to better understand how `personality' can impact a business.

Personable look at corporate personality building
Author Rohit Bhargava pushes for companies to use social media and an array of other marketing tools to develop sales-boosting corporate or brand personalities and regain their "authenticity." He presents a step-by-step plan for creating a distinctive, compelling corporate personality, from friendly employees to a unique brand identity. Some of his case studies of exemplary corporate personalities could be stronger and more unified, but Bhargava is well-informed and encouraging. He splits the book into two sections. The longer first section explains various approaches to distinctive branding. The second outlines 10 marketing tactics, and provides a "guides and tools" implementation appendix for each chapter. getAbstract welcomes this useful battle plan for marketers who want to give their products consumer-friendly personalities - not just for promotion, but for sales appeal.