Controversial
Byron Sharp's book How Brands Grow offers a radically new and refreshing vision of brand growth. It rocked the marketing world on its foundations. It is fundamentally different from current models, and runs directly counter to McKinsey's marketing funnel, Kotler's 'distinctive characteristics' and Simon Sinek's 'Why How What'. These book Marketers were thrown into doubt, because - according to Sharp - trusted working methods could be thrown straight in the bin.
How Brands Grow is definitely not just another interesting book. Having read this book a marketer simply can't put it away and continue working as he or she did before. Neither did FrieslandCampina, a global dairy food company, with a need to finally lift the curve of one of its leading brands.
The new big thing
For a growing number of blue chip companies (like CocaCola and Mars Foods) the principles from his book are the fundament of their marketing strategies and referred to as the new 'marketing commandments' so to say. Just to name only a few:
- loyalty programs are a waste of money
- try to be distinct, not to be different
- aim for the mass, media waste does not exist
- do not bother your image, just be there all the time