Best Branding Books

As you can probably imagine, my branding and marketing library is quite extensive. But what are the best branding books? While I’m a voracious reader, I cannot recommend everything I’ve read on the subject of brands and branding. But what I can do is give you some highlights and share with you my notes from the best books on branding.

Of course, I don’t own everything I’ve ever read on the subject (and much of what I’ve learned and absorbed over the years came from live seminars, workshops, online, and other venues and channels).

Subscribe to my FREE e-newsletter, Affordable Branding, and get monthly tips and techniques to take your brand to the bank.

Enter Your E-mail Address
Enter Your First Name (optional)
Then

Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Affordable Branding.

But here are the criteria that I’ve selected to make it easy for you.

  • The book must contain some solid branding case studies
  • The book must be relevant and accessible to small businesses, associations, and entrepreneurs
  • No scholarly tomes; easy to read and absorb
  • The book must contain actionable ideas
  • They must be re-readable and great for ongoing reference
  • In all cases, you can get these books from Amazon (I usually select the used offering and save a ton of money)

So, let’s get to it. Here are my current best branding books (in no particular order). Check back often, because I’m sure I will be adding to this list.

Why Johnny Can't Brand

Visual Hammer

Killer Brands: Create and Market a Brand That Will Annihilate the Competition

War in the Boardroom

The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

The Origin of Brands: How Product Evolution Creates Endless Possibilities for New Brands

The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design

Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands

Branding for Dummies

A New Brand World: Eight Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the Twenty-First Century

Brand Babble: Sense and Nonsense About Branding

BrandSimple: How the Best Brands Keep it Simple and Succeed

Branding Iron: Branding Lessons from the Meltdown of the US Auto Industry

Shadowcasting: Growing Your Business By Growing Your Reputation

Brandscendence: Three Essential Elements of Enduring Brands

Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition

Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind

Brand Warfare: 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand