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Description of The Philosophy of Branding

In this original and imaginative slant on contemporary brand management, Thom Braun takes us into the minds of the worlds greatest Western thinkers...

- Heraclitus
- Socrates
- Plato
- Aristotle
- Descartes
- Spinoza
- Leibniz
- Locke
- Hurne
- Rousseau
- Kant
- Hegel
- Nietzsche
- Wittgenstein
- Popper

...to reveal what they might say about branding if they were alive today.

Filled with contemporary examples, pragmatic insights and summaries of each philosopher's "top tips" , this elegant and witty book will resonate with all marketing and branding professionals who want their intellectual and professional faculties stimulated by some new thinking.

Title Information

ISBN:

9780749441937

Pages:

160 pages

Format:

Hardback

Product Code:

17924

Publisher:

Kogan Page Ltd

Published:

26/02/2004

Edition:

1st Edition

Press and Industry Reviews

"Thom Braun's mission, in this eclectic and readable book, is to get us thinking and, whether he's relating Plato to Persil or Descartes to Diet Coke, that's just what he does. No marketer will think about their job in the same way after reading this. Enjoyable and thought-provoking"
- James Thompson, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Diageo, North America

"Thom Braun, The Thinking Man's Brand Manager, has created a whole new sizzling discourse on branding which provides a terrific antidote to the anodyne filler of standard business texts. Armed with brains and a little Braun, brand managers can become brand leaders."
- Paul Walton, Chairman, The Value Engineers

"An original and witty reminder that the most successful brands are driven by talented thinkers."
- Simon Clift, President, Marketing, Unilever Home & Personal Care

"At last, a brand book with a big idea. Braun's entertaining distillation of some of the greatest thinkers of the last 3,000 years offers provocative yet practical conclusions on how we should rethink managing our own brand. A wonderfully fresh and stimulating read."
- Adam Morgan, author of Eating the Big Fish

"A thoroughly stimulating and enjoyable read. By looking at brands and branding through the lens of Western philosophy, Braun helps us review afresh some of the fundamentals of marketing."
- Jim Carroll, Deputy Chairman, BBH London

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About Thom Braun

Thom Braun is Director of Unilever’s global Marketing Academy, as well being an ordained priest in the Church of England and a successful author. For 25 years, Thom has interwoven his ‘careers’ as a branding expert, academic, writer and clergyman into a unique blend of skills and experiences. His marketing and branding credentials come from time spent as a consultant and 21 years working with Unilever, where he plays a key role in the company’s global marketing operations. Thom’s academic works include Disraeli the Novelist (Allen & Unwin), published when he was only 27; Holy Orders and Free Spirits (HarperCollins); and most recently kingdom.com (SCM-Canterbury Press) a satirical novel about the commercialization of the Church of England.

Contents of The Philosophy of Branding

By way of introduction

Part I: All Greek to me

1 Heraclitus - and the place from where we start
2 Socrates - and the art of questioning
3 Plato - and seeing below the surface
4 Aristotle - and the importance of structure

Part II: I think, therefore I brand

5 Descartes - and the application of Reason
6 Spinoza and Leibniz - and a systematic approach
7 Locke - and the empirical tradition
8 Hume - and the limits of Reason

Part III: Into the deep

9 Rousseau - and the importance of feeling
10 Kant - and a balanced approach
11 Hegel - and the primacy of process
12 Nietzsche - and the creation of values

Part IV: Searching for certainty

13 Wittgenstein - and the brand as tool
14 Existentialism - and the brand as individual
15 Popper - and the quest for a better model
16 The future - and the real role of philosophy in branding


Summary of top tips