FusionBranding: How to Forge Your Brand for the Future [Hardcover]

This is a must read for business students and entrepreneurs. It is cogent and complete. It emphasizes the customer viewpoint interactions with them. We rated this book four hearts.
-- Bob Spears
Heartland Reviews

There is nothing radical in his central premise that successful businesses of the future must focus on the nurturing of customer relationships. The contention will arise from how relationships are nurtured.

As the title suggests, Wreden forecasts that successful brands of the future will have moved away from dated branding tactics and base their strategies on personalising their relationship with the customer.

Wreden writes: "A brand's power doesn't stem from the number of ads or press releases. It derives from an emotional, even mystical, attachment between a purchaser and a company... a brand is a multidimensional accumulation of positive experiences resulting from performance, usability, value and the recognition of peers. Brand building is based on what's always been important. Trust. Commitment. Loyalty. Respect. Satisfaction. In a word, a brand represents a bond."

What may be difficult for some readers to accept are Wreden's 10 core principles that, he says, represent the new face of branding. These principles are mainly concerned with pursuing operational excellence and accountability. Herein lies the contention; there is very little credence given to the role of establishing the personality of a brand -- normally the remit of Branding consultants, marketing departments and advertising agencies. Wreden's core principle number one is: "Brands are built by organisations and supply chains, not by marketing departments". Hmmm. I've always thought that to create a bond with the customer a brand must clearly communicate its values and benefits and that marketing departments have a hand in that.

Wreden uses a wealth of examples to illustrate his ideas, which make this text all the more engaging and thought provoking. His understanding of the issues and his perspective on the role of new media adds an interesting angle. The book is finely structured, presents compelling arguments and summarises each chapter with a useful "Takeout" section of questions for consideration. It will make interesting reading for anyone charged with enhancing or maintaining the corporate bottom line in sales and market share.

A small gripe, however, would be that some of the brands used as examples in the book, lend an overtly American viewpoint that contradict Wreden's core principle eight: "Brands require an international perspective". He states "See Buick, think safety". Well, not from where I'm sitting Mr Wreden, for me it's "See Buick, think gas guzzler".