The best 53 Branding books

Services represent a significant and growing portion of the modern economy, yet marketing them remains a mystery. Selling the Invisible (1997) serves as a guide for promoting the intangible. It outlines how to set up a marketable service company, and how that business can then be advertised and promoted.

• Anyone who provides a service
• Anyone who owns a service-based business
• Marketing or advertising professionals
• Anyone interested in marketing or advertising 

These blinks explain why traditional marketing no longer works, and why to be successful you need to build Purple Cows, remarkable products and services that stand out of the crowd. They also explain how you can reach your target market once you’ve found your own Purple Cow.

• Entrepreneurs
• Marketing professionals and executives who believe that they can survive by not standing out of the crowd
• Anyone interested in why traditional advertising no longer works

In How Brands Grow, Byron Sharp tackles conventional marketing wisdom, disproving many of the conventional marketing myths with scientific facts and establishing some scientifically proven principles marketers should use.

• Anyone working in marketing
• Anyone interested in how science can affect marketing practice
• Anyone who wants to know how advertising works

Positioning has become one of the most renowned, best-selling books about marketing strategies in the last few decades. It describes a revolutionary marketing concept developed by the authors in the 1970s after it became clear that classic advertising was no longer effective due to an increase in media and competition. Positioning focuses on how to position your product in the market to become an industry leader.

• Anyone who wants to read one of the most influential books on marketing
• Anyone who wants to create and market a product successfully
• Anyone interested in the function of modern advertising and how it’s portrayed to the customer

In Fascinate, author Sally Hogshead helps us realize our potential for fascination. By explaining in vivid language exactly how fascination works and how you can trigger it in others, Fascinate provides you, your company and your brand with the tools to fascinate. These “seven triggers of fascination” can help you to increase the odds of success, both in your personal life and in business.

• Anyone who owns or works at a company interested in improving its reputation
• Anyone who’d like to improve their own ability to fascinate others
• Students of psychology interested in the concept of human fascination

In What Great Brands Do, author Denise Lee Yohn draws on her over twenty-five years of experience in brand-building to demystify the branding process. You’ll discover the main principles that have made brands such as Nike, Apple and Starbucks such iconic household names.

• CEOs, executives and company founders
• Anyone interested in marketing or branding

In The Brand Gap, you’ll get the inside scoop on how a strong brand can give your company a competitive edge. When you learn how to implement the five branding disciplines outlined in this book, you’ll understand that in closing the gap between strategy and creativity, you’ll be able to build an irresistible brand that will make customers take notice.

• Anyone looking to create a competitive brand that customers will notice
• Anyone interested in developing a successful marketing strategy
• Anyone who works in a company’s strategic or creative department

How can you get people interested in your brand in an age of ad-blockers, vanishing attention spans and colossal consumer choice? Paid Attention (2015) discusses the fast-changing media landscape, and maps out strategies for success that reach beyond banner placement and pop-ups.

• Advertising creatives and executives
• Anyone interested in how digitization is changing consumption and attention
• People puzzled by new concepts of communication and behavior

Better and Faster (2015) outlines a specific set of tools and guidelines readers can use to outmaneuver their competition and attain success in the chaotic and unpredictable modern marketplace. Using countless real-life examples – both cautionary tales and inspiring success stories – Jeremy Gutsche lays out a path for finding opportunities and developing successful business ideas.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs
• Business leaders
• People trying to successfully navigate the modern business world

Getting Started in Consulting (2009) is the go-to guidebook for budding consultants. From finding your footing and learning about legal matters to mastering the dual art of marketing and branding, these blinks outline every step on your journey to building a strong consultancy firm – and maintaining it, too.

• Experts interested in a lucrative career change
• New consultants seeking time-tested advice
• Established consultants looking to polish their skills

Marketing 3.0 is a handbook to the marketing strategies of tomorrow. These blinks explain how old tactics have grown outdated as people search for meaning in their lives and the companies that can provide it. Read on to learn how you can adapt your marketing strategy to the changing nature of consumer preferences.

• Entrepreneurs who are interested in the newest marketing strategies
• Business leaders curious about how companies can respond to new business trends
• Any CEO, marketer or investor

Do the KIND Thing (2015) passes along the valuable lessons the author learned while building his successful and ethical brand. These blinks guide you through the ten fundamental tenets of creating a business that benefits the individual and the world, and is prosperous too.

• Entrepreneurs interested in making a positive impact with their brand
• Anyone that doubts the possibility of a socially conscious and financially successful business
• Business owners who want to create a brand that people trust

Unconscious Branding (2012) reveals how marketers can tap into our subconscious, encouraging our participation in and support of company brands. In just seven steps, you’ll discover new strategies to guide your own company toward developing a brand with which customers can build a genuine relationship.

• Marketers who want to create successful ad campaigns
• Entrepreneurs striving to build a great brand
• People interested in how marketers manipulate consumers’ minds

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (1994) gives you the essential knowledge to build powerful marketing strategies. With practical, real-world examples, these blinks show you how to avoid common mistakes while ensuring your marketing push will stand fast against the toughest competition.

• People interested in marketing psychology
• CEOs, business managers and marketing executives
• Entrepreneurs looking to energize their marketing strategy

Hello, My Name is Awesome (2014) is about the most important decision a new business faces: choosing a brand name that will launch the company into the stratosphere where it belongs. You might think picking a name is straightforward, but you have a lot to learn! This is your guide to negotiating the snakes and ladders of the brand-naming process – and coming out on top.

• Anyone who’s trying to come up with a great brand name
• Anyone who wants to better understand branding
• Business owners who suspect that their company name may be alienating potential customers

The Conscience Economy (2014) reveals the implications that our changing, hyperconnected world has for businesses and brands. These blinks guide you through the principles and strategies that are vital for any company hoping to win over the outspoken, discerning consumers at the heart of today’s conscience culture.

• Readers curious as to why eco-friendly and fair-trade products are suddenly so trendy
• Marketers who closely follow the changing nature of branding
• Managers and leaders who want to learn more about the new generation of critical, inquisitive customers

Zombie Loyalists (2015) gives you the inside scoop on the customers that every company dreams of attracting. These blinks, illustrated with insightful stories from a wide range of businesses, provide you with simple steps that your brand can take to establish, grow and maintain a faithful, enthusiastic customer base.

• New brands hoping to build a stable and loyal customer base
• Managers seeking strategies to lift their employees’ customer-service skills
• Representatives in customer support interested in ways to improve their work

YouthNation (2015) offers essential insights on modern-day youth – a generation, lifestyle and rising phenomenon that will be essential to any business’s success in the future. These blinks will teach you the ins and outs of YouthNation and help you build an up-to-date strategy for your company.

• Marketers who want to understand the youth-driven economy
• Readers curious about the status symbols of the post-internet world
• Millennials who want to better understand the fundamental cultural changes taking place during their lives

The two most important types of conversation you’ll have when founding a business are those with potential customers and those with potential investors. The Mom Test (2013) offers advice on nailing the information you really need from these meetings, and ensuring your business has the best possible foundation for success.

• Entrepreneurs just starting out
• Anyone with a business idea
• Anyone interested in customer communication

The Global Code (2015) is about a recent worldwide phenomenon: a global unconsciousness, or code, that contains a new system of values, beliefs and principles. This code is formed and shared by the Global Tribe, a highly mobile and cross-cultural group of people who are setting trends, shaking up the old status quo and becoming the target demographic for global luxury brands.

• Sociology and anthropology students
• People interested in cultural differences and similarities
• Marketers and advertisers who want to make their brand a global success

Personality Not Included (2008) explains how to build an awesome public face for your company. These blinks teach you how to develop a strong personality for your business, explain why that’s so important and help you clear the barriers between you and business success.

• Entrepreneurs and leaders who want to build or improve their businesses
• CEOs who want to put a face on their company
• Marketing novices and experts alike

Rethinking Prestige Branding (2015) is your guide to the radically transformed world of prestige brands. These blinks explain how the practice of building a prestige brand has changed, what customers want today and what you need to do to make your brand a coveted object.

• Marketing and branding professionals
• Readers curious about how today’s brands got to where they are
• Entrepreneurs looking to boost their brand’s growth

Eating the Big Fish (2009) gives a strategic overview of how second- and third-tier brands can challenge industry leaders and climb to the upper echelons of the business world. These blinks are full of concrete advice to help emerging brands make a name for themselves in competitive markets.

• Business owners who want to excel in their industry
• Marketing professionals
• MBA students

The Fortune Cookie Principle (2013) is a practical guide to building a successful brand through powerful storytelling, a compelling vision and a clear purpose. These blinks explain how to tie your product to the meaning that potential customers seek.

• Entrepreneurs and business owners
• Marketing and communications strategists

Crushing It! (2018) explains and explores why having a strong personal brand is crucial in business. Following up on his 2009 best seller, Crush It!, the author draws on both his own experiences and those of readers to illustrate why having a strong presence across multiple digital-media channels is a blueprint for success.

• Aspiring or established entrepreneurs ready to take their business to the next level
• Employees who want to increase their professional opportunities
• People who recognize the game-changing nature of digital and social media

The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding (1998) is a practical, hands-on guide to the dos and don'ts of branding. Covering 22 memorable bite-sized nuggets of wisdom, these blinks provide an overview of the all-too-common mistakes made by marketers and showcases the tricks of the trade used by the most successful brands to assert their dominance in ultra-competitive markets.

• Entrepreneurs looking for tips on positioning their brand
• Anyone who’s ever wondered how advertising works
• Anyone interested in communication and marketing

Fusion (2018) advises businesses to bring together two corporate realms that are often regarded as separate: brand and culture. If fused into one, these two areas can create a new and powerful driving force in any business.

• Managers, business experts and consultants
• Branding and human-resources employees
• Leaders curious to know how strong culture can propel a business to new heights

Top of Mind (2017) offers readers an exciting new perspective on marketing by helping them break free of old, outdated methods and embrace the new “You Marketing” movement. Author John Hall provides the tools and insight necessary to navigate the new world of marketing, focusing in particular on how to gain an audience’s trust and target their needs.

• Entrepreneurs curious about You Marketing
• Readers interested in marketing and brand success
• Business owners who want to take their brand to the next level

We’re All Marketers (2019) offers a helpful overview of the tactics and principles that are guiding the world of digital marketing. Whether you’re part of a small business or a giant corporation, or you’re simply curious about how ideas are sold online, these are tips that can change the way you think about marketing.

• Students of marketing, branding and advertising
• Entrepreneurs and small business owners
• People interested in how ideas are sold on the internet

The Post-Truth Business (2018) addresses a question that’s been keeping marketing and advertising agencies up at night for a while now: How do you persuade consumers to trust your brand in an increasingly distrustful world? Drawing on Sean Pillot de Chenecey’s first-hand knowledge of the industry known as “adland,” these blinks show how today’s most innovative companies are strengthening consumer engagement and making sure that their brand doesn’t end up with a credibility gap.

• Marketers, advertisers and brand managers
• Leaders worried about their company’s image 
• Business strategists interested in the latest trends

Disruptive Branding (2019) explores the importance and nature of branding in our disruptive, technology-driven world. Drawing on best-in-class examples and practical how-to-guides, it’s a clear blueprint for anyone who wants to utilize a strong brand to drive business results.

• Business leaders who want to build an enduring and authentic brand 
• Marketers looking for practical brand strategy tips

Equity (2021) is your guide to building equitable systems in the twenty-first century. It was designed to help socially conscious leaders with the challenging task of creating fair and inclusive organizations that work for everybody.

• Leaders who want to embed their values into their business or nonprofit
• Diversity officers tasked with promoting a diverse and inclusive office culture
• Anyone who wants to be more mindful of bias in their thinking and behavior

The Hidden Psychology of Social Networks (2020) describes how brands can create effective and authentic content by understanding the basics of human psychology. Drawing on Freudian psychoanalysis, it gets to the bottom of our online habits and shows brands how to connect with people on a deeper level.

• Brand strategists at companies big or small
• Content creators of any type
• Those curious about how brands are trying to get their attention

Likeable Social Media (2011) is a handy guide to promoting your business on social media. This manual shows the best strategies for garnering positive attention on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.

• Business owners looking to catch some positive attention
• Marketers learning to ropes of online advertising
• Anyone who wants to get the most out of their social media pages

Get Different (2021) is a practical guide for entrepreneurs who want to leverage their market strategies and set themselves apart from the competition. Using an established framework, it offers step-by-step guidance on how to turn a marketing experiment into a strategic plan that gets you noticed and generates leads.

• Business owners seeking new leads
• Marketing professionals and enthusiasts 
• New entrepreneurs

Marketing Made Simple (2020) is a handy guide to growing your brand. This practical manual teaches a five-point system for effectively funneling new customers to your business.

• New entrepreneurs looking for a strong start
• Experienced business owners seeking new ideas
• Anyone interested in the fundamentals of marketing

Renegade Marketing (2021) is an incisive guide to becoming a cutting-edge B2B marketer in today’s frenetic corporate climate. It distinguishes four key characteristics of very successful marketing executives and shows you how you can apply them in your own company. Most importantly, it demonstrates how to create meaningful brands that are embodied at every level of your organization.

• CMOs who want to learn how to bring their teams on board to implement new ideas
• Marketing buffs interested in learning new insights from one of the most influential B2B marketing gurus
• Anyone interested in how to create purpose-driven brands

Branding Between the Ears (2021) explores how marketers can apply the latest scientific insights to their branding strategy. It explores how the human brain responds to advertising, and how consumers really make the decision to buy or not to buy.

• Marketers and salespeople
• Budding entrepreneurs keen to get their venture off the ground
• Psychology buffs looking for fresh insights

Traffic Secrets (2023) reveals an explosive truth: your dream customers are primed and ready. Learn how to analyze your target audience, locate their hotspots, and capture them with evergreen growth-hacking strategies. This game-changing guide unveils precise techniques for driving consistent traffic to your funnels, laying the foundation for unstoppable online growth.

• Starving startups
• E-commerce entrepreneurs
• Online course creators

12 Months to $1 Million (2020) serves as your catalyst for creating a seven-figure business within just a year. By uncovering a mixture of pragmatic strategies and hard-earned wisdom, it places you, the aspiring entrepreneur, in the driving seat. Your journey to financial independence and business success starts here.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs seeking practical strategies for financial independence
• Existing business owners aiming to scale their ventures
• Individuals interested in e-commerce and product innovation

Emotion by Design (2022) explores the creative philosophies that can differentiate your brand from the rest. It features lessons and stories from the author’s design and marketing experience at Nike.   

• Business owners and leaders
• Brand marketers
• Anyone interested in marketing and design

Ogilvy on Advertising (1983) offers insights into the world of advertising from the Father of Advertising himself: David Ogilvy. With practical tips on copywriting, design, and media – and a showcase of iconic ad campaigns – it serves as both a guide and a manifesto for aspiring advertisers.

• Copywriters looking to up their advertising game
• Marketing maestros and branding buffs
• General ad enthusiasts

Be Seen (2023) offers a comprehensive guide on content creation, marketing strategies, and personal branding. It’s designed to assist readers in finding their unique voice, establishing a solid personal brand, and achieving their dreams. Through step-by-step methods and personal anecdotes, it provides tools for personal and professional development, especially for entrepreneurs and creative professionals.

• Emerging entrepreneurs seeking personal branding insights
• Marketing professionals interested in content creation strategies
• Creative individuals looking to build a public image

Better Brand Health (2023) draws on decades of extensive academic research on brand management to offer practical insights and strategies for assessing and improving brand health.

• Marketing managers and executives looking to improve their brand performance
• Business owners and entrepreneurs seeking to build and maintain strong, healthy brands
• Consultants and agency professionals who advise clients on brand strategy

Moving to Outcomes (2021) explores the evolution of partnership marketing from its traditional roots to its current automated and scalable form, a transformation driven by technological advancements and shifts in supply and demand. Packed with insights into leveraging this model to its fullest, it enables companies to navigate and thrive in the digital marketplace.

• Forward-thinking marketers seeking innovative strategies
• Business leaders aiming for growth through diversification
• Investors interested in marketing trends and future potentials

Designing Brand Identity (2003) breaks branding down into a simple five-step process that helps teams build a clear and confident identity. It shows how research, strategy, design, touchpoints, and long term management fit together, and it uses real examples to make the ideas feel practical and doable. It gives anyone working with a brand a straightforward way to bring focus and consistency to their work.

• Brand managers seeking a structured process
• Designers building or refreshing identities
• Entrepreneurs clarifying how their brand should show up

Day Trading Attention (2024) explores innovative advertising strategies tailored to the digital age, emphasizing the importance of social media in building a brand. Geared toward helping you leverage content creation and distribution, it focuses on practical steps for harnessing the power of social media platforms to gain consumer attention effectively.

• Entrepreneurs seeking innovative digital marketing strategies
• Business owners interested in leveraging social media for growth
• Marketing professionals aiming to enhance content creation and distribution

The Brand Benefits Playbook (2024) is a strategic guide tailor-made for organizations looking to harness brand benefits for a competitive edge in the marketplace. It emphasizes the crucial role of recognizing and clearly expressing both the tangible and intangible benefits a brand provides. Focusing on these benefits can greatly boost customer loyalty and strengthen brand positioning.

• Marketing professionals seeking strategic branding insights
• Business leaders aiming for competitive market positioning
• Entrepreneurs interested in brand-driven growth strategies

Career Rehab (2020) provides a practical roadmap for transforming unfulfilling jobs into dream careers through personal branding and strategic career planning. Guiding job-seekers through the four phases of career rehab – designing, building, testing, and launching – it offers a step-by-step guide to creating a dream career.

• Mid-career professionals feeling stuck
• Recent graduates in unfulfilling first jobs
• Corporate employees dreaming of entrepreneurship

Loved (2022) uncovers the true potential of product marketing, showing how industry leaders use product marketing to shape market perception and category definition. Great product marketing goes beyond sales support to inspire others to tell your product’s story, transforming also-rans into market leaders.

• Product marketers looking for leading insights
• Sales reps who want to transform product features into compelling stories
• Start-up founders who want to position their product for market success

Be the Go-To (2020) introduces the Apollo Method, a four-phase strategic framework for achieving market dominance. It guides businesses in carving out a unique position, igniting demand, delivering exceptional value, and scaling with clarity and control. The method offers a practical path to becoming the first name that customers think of in a crowded marketplace.

• Entrepreneurs building standout market positions
• Executives facing price-driven competition
• Marketers driving premium brand growth

Wealthy and Well-Known (2025) reveals how you can transform your unique expertise into a powerful personal brand that generates both influence and revenue. This actionable guide combines personal insights with data-driven strategies to help you align your personal values with a profitable business model. 

• Experts and thought leaders who struggle to gain visibility in a crowded marketplace
• Entrepreneurs looking to transform their personal reputation into increased revenue 
• Content creators who want to build authentic personal brands

De-Positioning (2025) examines how brands can win by exposing competitors’ weaknesses and addressing customers’ most pressing pain points with clarity and focus. It argues that true competitive advantage comes from a singular, coherent strategic idea that shapes every aspect of a business. It also emphasizes that strategy only translates to impact when it is fully integrated across operations, messaging, and customer experience.

• Startup founders and early-stage CEOs
• Marketing directors and CMOs
• Brand strategists and agency consultants