3 Brand Books To Grow A Successful Brand In 2024

Do you want to understand the world of branding better? Here's a great place to start!

There’s nothing I love more than grabbing a coffee and a good book, and I have to say, whilst I love being immersed in a fictional story, I also can’t get enough of developing my skills, learning something new, or even just refreshing my memory on a topic. 

Whether you’re a passionate designer wanting to learn as much as possible about branding, or an entrepreneur looking to gain insight into brand strategy and design, you’ll want to add these 3 brand books to your reading list. 

The 3 Books in question

1. The Brand Gap by Marty Nuemeier.
2. Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits by Debbie Millman
3. "Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen" by Donald Miller

"The Brand Gap" by Marty Neumeier

This is one of the first brand books I read and provides a great understanding of the importance of brand strategy.  It explores the gap between what a company says about itself and what consumers believe about it.

The book explains that successful brands are built on a strong foundation of brand strategy and that this foundation is what enables a brand to create a unique and compelling value proposition. Here are 5 key takeaways:

1. ​​Understanding the Essence of Branding - Neumeier underscores the importance of clarity in defining what a brand truly represents. He argues that a brand encompasses not just a logo or a product, but rather the collective perceptions and sentiments people hold about a company, product, or service.
2. The Importance of Differentiation - Neumeier emphasises that in a saturated marketplace, differentiation is paramount. Brands must distinguish themselves from competitors by offering something unique and valuable to their target audience.
3. The Role of Design in Branding - Design plays a critical role in shaping perceptions and creating memorable brand experiences. Neumeier advocates for design thinking as a strategic approach to building robust brands that resonate with consumers.
4. The Power of Storytelling - Neumeier highlights the significance of storytelling in branding. A compelling brand narrative helps forge emotional connections with consumers, fostering loyalty and advocacy.
5. The Need for Collaboration - Neumeier stresses that successful branding necessitates collaboration across various disciplines within an organisation. Marketing, design, product development, and other departments must collaborate cohesively to craft a consistent and impactful brand experience.

If you’re looking for a better understanding of the key elements of brand strategy, such as positioning, messaging, design, and experience, and how these elements work together to create a strong brand, this book is for you. 

You can purchase "The Brand Gap" by Marty Neumeier here.

"Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits" by Debbie Millman

This is a book that explores the role of design in branding and how design can be used to differentiate and position a brand in the marketplace. In “Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits” Millman interviews a diverse range of branding experts, including designers, marketers, and entrepreneurs, offering a comprehensive view of the branding landscape from multiple angles.

Here are five key takeaways: 

1. Design plays a crucial role in branding: Design is not just about aesthetics, but is a key component of a brand's identity and helps to communicate its values and personality.
2. Brands need to be authentic: To build trust and credibility with consumers, brands need to be authentic and transparent in their messaging and actions.
3. Brands need to stand out: To be successful, brands need to differentiate themselves from competitors and offer something unique and valuable to consumers.
4. Brands need to tell a story: Brands need to tell a compelling story that resonates with consumers and helps to build an emotional connection with them.
5. Design thinking can be applied to non-design fields: Design thinking, which is a problem-solving approach that involves empathy, experimentation, and iteration, can be applied to a wide range of fields beyond design to drive innovation and solve complex problems.

It's a must-read if you’re looking to expand your knowledge and expertise through valuable insights and perspectives that can deepen your understanding of branding and its impact on business, culture, and society.

Fancy a read of Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits? Order your copy here. 

"Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen" by Donald Miller

There are so many takeaways I had from “Building a StoryBrand”. So much that I use what I’ve learned in pretty much every project I work on. 

This book by Donald Miller supports businesses in creating compelling marketing messages by framing them as stories. Here are five takeaways:

• A clear marketing message is essential for attracting and retaining customers.
• The best marketing messages are structured like a story, with a hero (the customer), a guide (the business), and a plan (the product or service).
• A brand's message should clearly explain the benefits of its product or service, and how it will solve the customer's problems.
• The hero's journey, or the process of overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal, is a powerful narrative structure that can be applied to marketing messages.
• Businesses should focus on building trust and credibility with their audience through their marketing efforts.

I highly recommend giving this book a read if you want insights and practical guidance on improving your brand messaging and connecting with customers on a deeper level.

Order your copy of Building a StoryBrand here.