Little by little, the year comes to an end. It means that it’s high time to start summing up what was done, analyze successful cases and lessons learned. It’s also time to search new sources of inspiration and insights which will encourage you for new, even more audacious endeavors. With this in mind, while searching for our own sources of inspiration and ideas, we came across several decent books. We want to share this list with you as we hope that in these books you will find the latest marketing and tech insights which will help you develop your business and improve your products.

1. “How Brands Grow” (Parts 1 and Part 2)

We advise you to read both parts of the book as the second part is a logical continuation of the first one. In the first book, Byron Sharp dwells more on the mechanics of marketing and branding, i.e. how advertising works, how loyalty programs affect customers’ perception of the brand, and what are the key marketing drivers for the company’s growth. The second part of this marketing masterpiece touches upon such subjects as consumer behavior and helps to look at the interaction with the brand from customers’ perspective. In both books, all theoretical assumptions are supported with evidence-based case studies and research results. Definitely, it’s a piece worth reading for everyone who strives to learn how to use behavioral science and unconventional marketing approaches to gain a competitive advantage.

How Brands Grow. Part 1. 
How Brands Grow. Part 2. 

2. “Building Distinctive Brand Assets”

It’s a “How To” guide on brand creation and management. While going through the pages of this book you will get some practical knowledge on how to analyze the efficiency of brands’ assets through the interpretation of key metrics, as well as which approaches to brand management are the most effective. This is a very useful book for those who are struggling to implement breakthrough changes in their brand. The main advantage of this work is that it contains tips that are equally applicable both for microbusiness and big companies.

Building Distinctive Brand Assets.

3. “Rethinking Prestige Branding: Secrets of the Ueber-Brands”

“Rethinking Prestige Branding” was written for those who hate theory but adores practice. Authors of this book, marketing and brandings specialists with decades of experience, provide insights from case studies based on real stories of global brands dominating different industries from tech to luxury clothing. They also vastly dwell on the psychological aspects of customers’ interaction with brands.

Rethinking Prestige Branding: Secrets of the Ueber-Brands.

4. “Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction”

To some extent, this book is a dream breaker, as it reveals all the hints and tricks behind viral content creation which is one of the main contemporary drivers of brands development. In his book, Derek Thompson takes real-life examples, breaks them down into components, and based on derived conclusions provides applicable insights on how to make your brand stand out and catch consumers’ attention in the “8 seconds rule” world. A very good book for those who want to get evidence-based advice on how to promote the brand with viral content.

Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction.

5. “Eat Your Greens”

Very fresh work in all meanings of the word “fresh” with. This work encourages the reader to completely reshuffle traditional marketing strategy and shift to data-based, tech-driven marketing and product positioning solutions. In case you want to start looking differently at your product and the way you present it to customers then “Eat Your Greens” is one of the most useful choices for you.

Eat Your Greens. 

6. “To Sell is Human”

This brilliant text will persuade you that the need to sell is as basic for a human being as the need to breathe and eat. Based on the notion that we are constantly selling everything to each other in everyday life, this New York Times #1 best-seller provides practical advice on how to leverage our inherent need to sell to develop better communication with customers and make them actually buy.

To Sell is Human. 

7. “Be More Pirate: Or How to Take On the World and Win”

“Conventional wisdom”, “universal truth”, “rules and regulations” – these are phrases which you will not find in this book. This piece is an excellent example of how unconventional thinking should be applied in the marketing domain, and why actually violation of conventional rules is a prerequisite for the creation of the best products and brands. “Be more pirate” is an eclectic work with numerous references to the history of piracy and the way you can apply the experience of top pirates in 21st-century marketing. Arrr!

Be More Pirate: Or How to Take On the World and Win. 

8. “Marketing: Theory, Evidence, Practice”

Those of you who like fundamental studies with multiple references to research results and data will definitely like this book. Unlike the previous piece on the list which teaches you how to change the mode of thinking and attitudes, this book provides the reader with knowledge based on metrics, consumer behavior science, and case studies. One of the peculiarities of this book is that it looks not only into the impact of processes on the brand’s success but on the role of individuals in the creation and implementation of the marketing strategy.

Marketing: Theory, Evidence, Practice. 

9. “The Choice Factory: 25 behavioral biases that influence what we buy”

This book is fully dedicated to the decision-making process. The author reveals how our everyday decisions, including buying ones, are based on psychological shortcuts, cognitive biases, and attribution errors. This is truly a fascinating study on consumer behavior that explains how customers buy, and which psychological tricks can be applied to streamline their thinking in a way that will be beneficial for your company and brand.

The Choice Factory: 25 behavioral biases that influence what we buy. 

10. “Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy”

The author of “Decoded” Phil Barden can be undoubtedly called Daniel Kahneman of marketing. This excellent work helps to look behind the curtain of the decision-making process. This book is based on the latest finding of neuroscience, psychology, and economics. It explains how people make purchase decisions, how to motivate customers to buy, and why the emotional connection with the brand or product is very often more important and effective than reliance on a traditional “value for money” logic. This book will help you not only understand how a human’s brain works but will also provide practical advice on how to apply this knowledge in marketing. 

Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy.

11. “The Anatomy of Humbug: How to Think Differently About Advertising”

This is a roadmap for those who want to understand how our consciousness and unconsciousness interact. It dwells on how to target the customers’ brains and appeal both to its emotional and logical parts. The theoretical statements here are supported with practical case studies from the advertising sphere. After reading this book you’ll be able to increase the efficiency and lead generation rate of your advertising campaigns.

The Anatomy of Humbug: How to Think Differently About Advertising.

12. “Consumerology: The Truth about Consumers and the Psychology of Shopping”

The title of this book is pretty self-explanatory and perfectly sums up what the author is going to dwell on. It contains examples of how consumers are tricked by big brands into buying things and becoming their dedicated disciples. Latest neuroscience-based marketing technologies which help to streamline the consumers’ behavior are also scrutinized in the book. Thus, it will be of great use for all marketers who try to improve their marketing approaches with the achievements of behavioral science.

Consumerology: The Truth about Consumers and the Psychology of Shopping.

13. “Webs of Influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion” (2nd Edition)

In the “Web of influence”, you will find many insights related to the creation of online content which will help you influence customers’ behavior. This work is based on the verge of several fields of science – neurology, sociology, psychology, and design providing a reader with a comprehensive understanding of why customers behave in a certain way while adopting a purchase decision. It’s definitely a must-read for those who heavily rely on online content in their marketing strategies.

Webs of Influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion (2nd Edition).

Marketing is a comprehensive thing that comprises everything - from the way you perceive things to the tools, skills, and data which you poses to make your strategy work. We hope that everyone will find some interesting insights in the aforementioned books and will apply them to improve your brand and products.

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