Posts Under: Book Reviews

All of (Capitalist) Life is But a Stage

September 5, 2009 • Book Reviews • no comments

American Girl dolls casting their branded charms (Courtesy of Lauren-xo)

“Lights, cameras, action!” Put on your “costumes”, don your best “branded” behaviour, and perform in the stage of life’s biggest commercial brands.

That seems to be the key message of Maurya Wickstrom’s volume Performing Consumers which described the multiple ways in which big brands endear themselves to their customers through performance and theatre. Peppered liberally with theories of performativity and theatricality, the book illustrated how the creation of brandscapes in the retail environment induces deep emotional connections between man and merchandise.

Who’s Your City – A Review of Florida’s Book

August 25, 2009 • Book Reviews • 1 comment

I first heard about Richard Florida’s ideas from a public sector conference back in November 2008 and was intrigued by his ideas on how the world isn’t flat (ala Thomas Friedman) but is in fact spiky and dominated by mega-regions. Florida’s earlier assertions about the rise of the creative class and their catalytic roles in urban regeneration have been so significant that they are often cited by cities around the world as reasons to invest in more heavily in cultural infrastructure.

Who’s Your City was a highly ambitious undertaking by the urban theorist and economist Richard Florida to understand the importance of place in both economic and social spheres. Working with armies of researchers and statisticians from Gallup and various universities, Florida plowed through an impressive mountain of economic, social, geographic, psychographic and even cartographic (yes Florida is pretty big on maps) data to substantiate his findings.

How To Write Like a King

July 29, 2009 • Book Reviews • 2 comments

Courtesy of NPR.org

One of my lifelong dreams is to write and publish a book.

As a purveyor of the written word, I relish opportunities to create a polished piece of prose that can influence others or contribute to the body of knowledge in the world.

Emotional Marketing the Hallmark Way

May 23, 2009 • Book Reviews • 5 comments

Courtesy of AZ Quotes

“People don’t buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.” – Zig Ziglar

This quote from the legendary sales guru Zig Ziglar aptly describes the world of marketing, where it is vital to reach the heart in order to generate a buying response.

While the rational part of us would sort through the price, features, and logical needs we have for a particular product or service, it is the emotional part – the feelings, benefits, wants and beliefs – which determine the purchase decision.

Sensational Branding!

May 11, 2009 • Book Reviews, Business and Management • 2 comments

Multi-sensorial branded luxury in SIA’s first class cabin (courtesy of Richard Moross)

What do leading brands like Apple Computer, Singapore Airlines and Disney have in common?

Answer? These brands represent some of the world’s most multi-sensory brands.

Making Purple Cows Sneeze

January 19, 2007 • Book Reviews • 4 comments

Lately, I have been reading a little more than usual. Have only just picked up Purple Cow by Seth Godin.

It isn’t exactly brand new but some of its insights are still worth considering.

Tips on Tipping

November 5, 2006 • Book Reviews • no comments

While languishing in bed for two days last week, I managed to pick up the book “The Tipping Point” and finished reading it all in one go (almost). Malcolm Gladwell’s thought provoking tome isn’t exactly the newest trick of the trade, but some of its principles are useful to share.

In essence, it postulates that hits do not just happen by accident. There are various factors which lead to these “social epidemics” occurring, and they cause the phenomenon known as the tipping point, leading to quick and massive “infection” in the population. This idea has been much in favour recently, with many new media theoreticists claiming that web 2.0 and its inherent qualities make tipping much easier.

Before a virus, idea, shoe, movie, even disease and suicide rate “tip”, however, there are three pre-conditions and three sets of people needed to catalyse the process. Gladwell’s three rules for tipping are: