Some days, it’s easy to think we live in a world of sameness. Where all brands and products look and sound alike. Not so, says David Aaker, the author of Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevant.
Aaker takes a very systemic approach to talking about how many companies and brands have successfully differentiated themselves. One of the good things I like is his focus on a few major categories for his case studies, like retail, the food industry, and the automotive industry. In addition to startups like Zappos (and I swear, no book like this comes out these days without a Zappos mention), Aaker brings up old stlwarts like General Mills, and GE, highlighting how they’ve managed to reinvent themselves for changing times.
I’m not convinced any business can make their competitors irrelevant, but Brand Relevance is a good read for product managers and startup marketers who need to focus on making themselves – and their brands – stand out.
Special thanks to Wesman PR who provided me with a review copy.