Text reveals the findings of the Corporate Branding Index, a proprietary database created by CoreBrand. The authors share the results via case studies that profile such leading companies as American Express, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and Southwest Airlines.

In The Best of Branding, branding pioneer Jim Gregory publishes --for the first time ever--findings from his revolutionary Corporate Branding Index?. This index, which for more than a decade has compiled branding results from more than 1,000 companies, is today's most influential and exhaustive database on what works, what doesn't, and why.

In-depth interviews with the executives responsible for today's most dominant brands discuss best and worst strategies for building a durable brand. Companies profiled include AFLAC, Harley-Davidson, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, Southwest Airlines, and more.

From the Back Cover

For more than a decade, the leading corporate brand strategy and communications firm CoreBrand has been at the forefront of research into the effectiveness of branding communications--most importantly, the impact of branding on a company's bottom line. The result is the revolutionary Corporate Branding Index?--a one-of-a-kind proprietary database that analyzes branding data from more than 1,000 companies, tracking their reputation, communications, and financial performance. The Corporate Branding Index is the most influential and exhaustive resource on what works, what doesn't, and why in corporate branding.

Now, in The Best of Branding, branding pioneer and founder and CEO of CoreBrand James Gregory shares his company's findings for the first time. He presents eye-opening case studies that unveil results from the Corporate Branding Index, along with original, in-depth interviews with the executives responsible for some of today's most dominant brands--from AFLAC and Harley-Davidson to Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, Southwest Airlines, and more.

The detailed case studies support Gregory's assertion that a brand is a business asset that can and should be managed over time, in the same manner as any other business asset. He presents a set of principles that apply to the branding issues faced by every corporation, large or small, as well as a number of unique tools that demonstrate how corporate brands compare to their peers in terms of the strength of their brand--a concept called CoreBrand PowerTM.

Profiling such leading companies as American Express, Maytag, Philip Morris/Altria, and Campbell Soup Company, each case study features a "CoreBrandPower" analysis, industry analysis, and an inside look at each company's strategy and tactics. In addition, Gregory shares the results of his conversations with top management and communications executives from each company, who reveal their thoughts about building a durable brand. The results show how well--or how poorly--the world's biggest brands have done business relative to their competitors, offering valuable lessons for anyone responsible for managing a brand.

Filled with remarkable insight on how communications affect a brand, The Best of Branding shows how immensely powerful the corporate brand can be--and how to fully capitalize on its value.

The definitive guide to branding best practices, The Best of Branding is the first and only book to reveal the findings of the Corporate Branding Index?, a proprietary database created by CoreBrand--the only branding firm that ties the corporate brand to bottom-line performance--that examines over 1,000 companies across 34 40 industries and tracks each company's reputation, communication and financial performance. Founder and CEO of CoreBrand James Gregory share.

the results via case studies that profile such leading companies as American Express, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and Southwest Airlines.

In this groundbreaking book, Gregory explains how--through a rigorous process called the CoreBrand Analysis--management, marketing, advertising, and public relations executives across all industries can and should:

* Define the essence of a brand

* Understand the value that a brand delivers

* Get the most impact from corporate brand communications

* Differentiate between brand strategy and advertising

* Bring a brand to life and manage its growth

Gregory also presents a variety of tools for building a brand infrastructure, staying on course over an extended period of time, and identifying key business opportunities related to a brand.



About the Author

James R. Gregory is founder and CEO of CoreBrand, a leading global brand strategy and communications firm. Gregory, who has twenty-five years experience in advertising and branding, is recognized as a leading expert on brand management and credited with developing innovative and objective tools for measuring the power of brands and their impact on a corporation's financial performance. His pioneering work in quantifying the financial benefits of branding has greatly increased brand management's credibility and acceptance among America's business leaders. Gregory is also the author of Branding Across Borders, Marketing Corporate Image and Leveraging the Corporate Brand.