The world of branding can sometimes feel like an endless rabbit hole. However, with the proper guidance and a strategic plan, you can easily build a brand identity for any business or organization. Here’s the 10 best branding books this year to help you do just that.
These guides will equip you with everything from clever logo ideas to creative marketing tactics to help make your mark on the world. The books on this list are must-reads for business owners, graphic designers, and brand owners.
Let’s dive in!
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1. Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits – Debbie Millman
In Debbie Millman’s book Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits, each chapter is a lengthy conversation between a design visionary and influential figures like Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin, and Wally Olins.
This fascinating and instructive book provides a unique arena for discussing the state of contemporary branding. Through these pages, you’ll discover the greatest ways for businesses and consumers to comprehend the psychological factors that influence our brand loyalty and purchase decisions.
2. Branding: In Five and a Half Steps – Michael Johnson
Check out Michael Johnson’s Branding for a step-by-step guide to building a successful brand.
As one of the world’s top brand consultants and graphic designers, the author’s studio, Johnson Banks, has rebranded Virgin Atlantic, Christian Aid, and Think London, to name a few.
Branding examines each stage of the development process that’s necessary to produce the most compelling brands in the world. Plus, to help you create your own brand, this book includes more than 1,000 illustrations highlighting the world’s most successful identities. You can also use the generic template samples to boost your brand or ad.
3. Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team – Alina Wheeler
Designing Brand Identity is a vital read for anyone who provides brand guidance for companies or anyone who has to teach their staff or students about the basics of branding. In this book, author Alina Wheeler identifies a collection of tools for brand building and the best practices to make great brands.
Plus, this helpful read is already in its fifth edition, so you can make sure you’re reading updated information about the best messaging to attract customers.
4. The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design – Marty Neumeier
The first book to give a comprehensive philosophy of brand-building is Marty Neumeier’s The Brand Gap. This book demonstrates how strategic and creative thinking can work together to create a “charismatic brand.”
Through a creative approach and unified theory of brand-building, this book proves to be a great source of knowledge that will prove to be indispensable for your brand.
Related: 10 Best Books About Social Media Marketing
5. Building a Story Brand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen – Donald Miller
Donald Miller, a New York Times bestselling author, teaches readers how to significantly enhance their engagement with clients and expand their businesses using the seven universal characteristics of compelling brand storytelling.
Here in Building a StoryBrand, readers learn how to simplify their brand message so people can comprehend it. Similarly, it tells you how to build the most effective messaging for websites, social media, and ads.
6. Hello, My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick – Alexandra Watkins
With an awesome name like that, you can’t just help but pick up the book and see what’s it about.
In the second edition of Hello, My Name Is Awesome, Alexandra Watkins adds great examples of tools and techniques that will help you capture the perfect brand name. If you try the “SMILE and SCRATCH test” from this book while brainstorming your brand names, we’re sure you’ll create a memorable brand that maybe even be the tipping point to your success.
7. Identity Designed: The Definitive Guide to Visual Branding – David Airey
Identity Designed is the ultimate guide on visual branding. This book is perfect for design students, freelancers, and business owners who want to deepen their knowledge of effective design in business.
Author and designer David Airey formalizes the procedure and advantages of brand design in this book. Plus, he features a sizable selection of excellent works from a number of the world’s most accomplished design studios.
Another great resource in the world of branding, Identity Designed, shows you the background and significance of branding and how there are always more ways to improve your brand’s customer experience.
Related: 10 Best Branding Podcasts You Should Listen To
8. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action – Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek launched a movement in 2009 to help people become more motivated at work and, in turn, to inspire their coworkers and clients. Since then, his ideas have influenced the lives of countless people. In fact, more than 28 million people have watched his TED Talk about Start with Why.
Sinek begins by posing the fundamental question: Why are certain individuals and groups more creative, influential, and successful than others? And why do some people garner more support from both clients and staff? Also, why are there so few people who can consistently replicate their achievements? This book explores the answers.
9. Power Branding: Leveraging the Success of the World’s Best Brands – Steve McKee
In the book Power Branding, Steve McKee illustrates how small and mid-sized businesses can benefit most from counterintuitive techniques employed by the biggest brands. To illustrate, he delves into questions like:
- How can a company grow?
- Why do the best businesses occasionally avoid becoming better?
- What’s a good slogan?
10. Book of Branding: A Guide to Creating Brand Identity for Startups and Beyond – Radim Malinic
Designed for business owners, founders, graphic designers, brand developers, and anyone attempting to understand the often-confusing world of brand identity, Book of Branding by Radim Malinic is a crucial addition to any startup’s toolset.
Moreover, the book’s conversational tone helps readers understand the most important parts of the brand identity process. Additionally, the book provides real-life case studies to demonstrate how excellent teamwork can be accomplished for any organization while offering first-hand experience, insights, and advice.
Related: Branding vs Marketing vs Advertising: What’s the Difference?
Conclusion
So, are you ready to boost your branding knowledge? Check out these ten books that should be on every marketer’s reading list.
Once you’re done with those, click here to book a free consultation with our brand awareness experts and learn how to take your company’s branding to the next level.
Have you read any of these books? Let us know in the comments!
Related:
- 10 Best Branding Podcasts You Should Listen To
- Branding vs Marketing vs Advertising: What’s the Difference?
- 10 Best Books About Social Media Marketing
