Introduced as a handbook, How to Use Advertising to Build Strong Brands is the third in a series of five volumes, all discussing various aspects of advertising: the advertising organization, advertising research, international advertising, a resource guide to advertising organizations and publications, and how to use advertising to build strong brands, the subject of this book. A total of 21 authors contributed to this work.
After an introductory section, the remaining structure of this handbook is divided into five parts. First, the value‐added and brand equity that brand provides the product are covered. Discussions of new, growing, and mature brands follow. The next group of readings covers brand concepts in nontraditional areas, such as political advertising and green marketing. The last readings are oriented toward educating students in advertising and the creative process.
As is sometimes the case with readings books, the flow of material may seem disjointed or unorganized at times. This may be rectified by the “handbook” status with which the book has been labeled. Additionally, while most of the readings were heavily focused on brands and branding, some seemed to omit the discussion entirely. For instance, “Political advertising” failed to address political brands directly or the branding of a political candidate. Moreover, it is difficult to tell how up to date the articles are, since full citations are not included.
Despite the shortcomings discussed, this handbook is a good reference for the brand manager and the student or professor. Its articles provide a good balance for both academician and practitioner.
