Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #262529 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Synopsis
Suggests ways marketers can develop and customize brand personalities through knowledge of their customers' emotional needs, and demonstrates how companies can utilize all five senses to appeal to various populations.

Customer Reviews

uses the aura of "emotional intelligence" to promote banding
This book is an example of an old concept in marketing, which can be found in Aaker's banding "bible" entitled "Managing Brand Equity" (1991): extending the brand "emotional intelligence" to branding.

So why did I purchase this book? Well, I wanted to look at the EQ side of branding and it made sense to know what others had written on the topic. After reading Aaker's book I understand I fell in a trap called "brand extension". This works as follows: if you want to launch a new product, look for an existing brand which is available and which you can extend to cover your new product. In this case, the "product" probably is Marc Gobé's brand creation firm and we all know that emotional intelligence is a label that sells well since Goleman put it on the map in 1996.

The problem is that many products sold under the label "emotional intelligence" aren't much related with that, and certainly do not help to raise your EQ. For me this is the case for this book. While it contains some useful messages around making sure your product is loved, that customers like the experience of using it (it should be engaging, fulfilling the customer's desire) and that you have to build a relationship with the customer. The body of the book then shows how there is an emotional link between several marketing aspects and the customer. Unfortunately, that wasn't really "new" to me, and what's worse, there isn't much "how to" in this book. In other words, while it may help to raise the awareness of some readers that the emotional aspect is important, that's all it does: it doesn't give you the tools to deal with this. I suppose Marc Gobé prefers you'd contact his branding agency rather than sharing some of its secrets.

In short, even if Aaker's book I mentioned in the introduction of this review is over 10 years old, it remains much more useful than "modern" books like this one.

Very nice book, refreshing and modern, good for self-study
This is a very nice book.
It's main advantages: it is simply written, many practical examples, some pictures, very modern.
The previous reviewer, I suppose, do not like the author for some reason, or he didn't understood, that Marc tries to show us some case studies, good and bad examples, like good MBA course. Rather than develop methodologies, formulas, etc.
This is very practical book. I am glad that it is written by designer in a simple but elegant way.
The author always try to give you suggestions on where to find futher information (books, websites) on each topic. It is the only book, where I found practical advices on practical design questions. Such as color, form, sound, etc. Again, the author also provides us with references to other sources which focus on these topics.
Very good book.

Emotional Branding
There was a time that if you had a product, someone would buy it. You didn't have to worry about reaching your target audience, how the packaging would make people feel, or how the product would make the consumer's life better. People were eager for new products so if you had something to sell people would line up to try almost anything.

Today, we have choices. So many choices. If you go to your local Wal-Mart looking for a toaster, you'll find dozens of different types. Each has a variety of different features that make each product unique. Trying to figure out which is right for you, depends upon your toasting needs.

The same goes for any product or service that you sell. In order to get consumers to choose your company when they go looking to buy, you have to serve their needs. To do so, you have to know your target audience and have a firm understanding about what they want.

Emotional Branding explores the buying patterns, needs, and belief systems of a variety of different demographics: the boomers through to the millennials, various minority populations, women, and the gay community. The book looks at how color, packaging, sound, scent, etc can be used to produce certain feelings. Put together properly, this information can help craft products and their associated advertising campaigns to suit the appropriate target audience.