Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People, Updated and Revised Edition

After an Introduction ("Emotional Branding: Fuel for Success in the Twenty-first Century"), Gobe presents his material within four Sections and then provides a Conclusion in which he acknowledges that branding is not for everyone while asserting that branding is about cultural relevance and emotional connection, not hype. For those who are responsible for devising, launching, and then managing a successful, emotionalized brand, he suggests three "essential" ideas: 1. "Brands have life cycles. The future of a brand is defined by its relevance at any given time and by how well it can protect the values that made it great. 2. Brands are elected every day based on their emotional relevance with the public and its commitment to quality. 3. Real brands are about meaning and truth." Here are some of the questions to which Gobe responds:

1. How can a brand engage people on the level of their senses and emotions?

2. Which brands have done so most effectively? How?

3. What is the biggest misconception in branding strategies? Why?

4. What are "The Ten Commandments of Emotional Branding"?

5. Which values are unique to Baby Boomer (born 1946-64), Gen X (born 1965-76), and Gen Y (born 1977-94) consumers? So what?

6. Which values are unique to African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American, Gay, and Lesbian consumers? So what?

7. Why are Women "The New Shoppers in Chief"?

8. Why are sensorial experiences (i.e. sight, sound, touch, taste, feel, and smell) "the uncharted territory of branding"?

9. Which branding strategies based on sensorial experiences have proven most effective? Why?

10. What are the "Key Trends for the New Millennium"? Why?

These questions correctly suggest the scope and depth of Gobe's perspectives on emotional branding. Throughout the book, he cites and discusses examples of branding initiatives which either succeeded or failed. I am also grateful for the inclusion of highly innovative graphics which illustrate "thinking out of the box" while creating an advertising campaign. (See the Introduction to Section III.) Gobe concludes his book with this observation: "To get people interested in a long-term relationship, keep your ear to the ground and always be ready for any market changes. Change is good, but predicting change is better -- the answer is within people's hearts." In this remarkable book, Gobe does indeed offer a new paradigm for connecting brands to people.

Those who share my high regard for Emotional Branding are strongly urged to check out Levitt's The Marketing Imagination, Ries and Trout's Positioning (NOT the sequel, The New Positioning), Brands: The New Wealth Creators edited by Hart and Murphy, Schmitt's Experiential Marketing, and Pine and Gilmore's The Experience Economy. For those who wish to explore the subject in even greater depth, I highly recommend Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence and his more recently published Working with Emotional Intelligence.


How to Market to the Heart as Well as the Head   June 18, 2001
Dr. Jeffrey F. Durgee (Lally School of Managment and Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
26 out of 28 found this review helpful

This is a great book. If you feel that people largely buy products and services for emotional reasons, and you want to learn more about branding strategies that address consumer emotions, this is for you. I would recommend you first read Lisa Fortini-Campbell's exceptional little book, "Hitting the Sweet Spot", then Chapters 3 and 10 (on "Brand Design" and "Advertising Strategy", by Bobby Calder, Steven Reagan and and Brian Sternthal respectively) in the new book by Dawn Iacobucci, "Kellog on Marketing" and then finish with "Emotional Branding". The Gobe book pulls everything together, yet maintains an unwavering, retriever-like focus on leveraging buyer emotions. Some of the new books like Hill and Rifkin's "Radical Marketing" stress the importance of buyer empathy and passion for the brand, but I have yet to read a book as good as "Emotional Branding" which tells the reader HOW TO DO all of these things.


Provocative, inspiring AND practical   June 22, 2001
22 out of 25 found this review helpful

This book has a lot of added value. It not only puts abosulutely everything we know about branding into a totally fresh, groundbreaking perspective that works in the new economy, but it is full of useful information, revelatory research, detailed processes for brand development and fascinating case studies. It is not just another book talking about branding, it shows the reader precisely HOW to reach consumers on an emotional level that will inspire long term loyalty - a rarity in today's market!

As VP of Marketing at a Fortune 500 company, I have read all the hot branding book titles over the past few years as well as the arch-classics, and this is one of the very best of them all - if not the best! I found myself avidly taking notes, and also spurred on to many exciting ideas for my business.

I look forward to Gobe's next book!


Sold on Emotional Branding   March 11, 2001
14 out of 16 found this review helpful

Gobe's book provides a concise yet comprehensive review of the most current trends in marketing and branding. His thesis that emotions, rather than tangible product attriubutes, comprise the most important aspects of a brand is convincing and well documented. The book is also remarkably well laid out -- very "user-friendly." Definitely a contribution to today's marketing, I enjoyed it and hope he publishes more in the future.


excellent book   February 25, 2005
Gotz Maurizio (Milan, Italy)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Emotional Branding is a must, it is complete, well written and full of inspiring examples

The decalogue alone is worth the purchase

1) from consumers to people
2) from product to experience
3) from honesty to trust
4) from quality to preference
5) from notoriety to aspiration
6) from identity to personality
7) from function to feel
8) from ubiquity to presence
9) from communication to dialogue
10)from service to relationship

If brand managers understand truly and fully Gobe's ten commandments they will add value to the most valuable asset
they have, the brand