Brand Warfare: 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand,
by David D'Alessandro

Product Description
"BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal Business and New York Times Business Bestseller!

"A blunt, entertaining, provocative, relentless, and no-holds barred account of how to build a great image or brand."--James Carville, Author and Democratic Strategist

In a world where consumers have infinite choices, it's almost impossible to compete without a compelling brand. Creating one, however, requires vision, daring, and the ability to understand the consumer. Above all, brand building requires knowledge of the pitfalls and the opportunities in every business decision. The care and feeding of brands is a battle; Brand Warfare provides the strategic ammunition needed to win.

"D'Alessandro is that refreshing rarity: a businessman who tells it like it is. And he does just that in his gripping new page-turner."—Chicago Sun-Times

"With its engaging voice and pull-no-punches tone, this book stands out from the marketing crowd."—Harvard Business Review

"Practical, psychologically astute and clearly written, this book has much to offer businessfolk of all stripes."—Publishers Weekly

Harvard Business Review
Don't let the generic title fool you. With its engaging voice and pull-no-punches tone, this book stands out from the marketing crowd. The key to effective brands, says the head of John Hancock Financial Services, is an identity that connects to the real problems of customers. To develop and maintain that realism, he contends, companies must protect their brands from the in-house political, legal and operational pressures that have turned most brands into mush. They also need to risk alienating some market segments. Lively stories from D'Alessandro's multi-faceted career in marketing help drive home his points with an all-too-rare concreteness. He takes the reader on a well-organized tour of marketing pitfalls, from advertising "feedback" to wasted sponsorships. And his wry sense of humor akes up for some bluster and his bias in favor of Hancock marketing choices like the Olympics. The books offers no great insights, but it may well prevent executives from signing off on ill-fated brand campaigns.

About the Author
D'Alessandro developed and directs the company's integrated consumer marketing strategies and operations, which involve an unprecedented and aggressive expansion of the company's product lines and distribution channels. Under his leadership the company has moved from selling its products almost exclusively through its 5000-person agency field force in 1991 to making products available to a distribution network of more than 200,000 individuals who are today authorized to sell John Hancock products.

He joined the company in June 1984 as vice president of Corporate Communications, and was the youngest senior officer in the company's history. He was promoted to senior vice president in January 1986. The following year, he was given additional responsibility for the $1.2 billion institutional insurance division.

In July 1988, he became president of the Corporate Sector, making him the youngest management committee member in the company's history. He became a member of the board of directors in 1990, and senior executive vice president in charge of the Retail Sector, in 1991.

Named by the Sporting News as one of the "100 Most Powerful People in Sports" for the past five years, D'Alessandro is the architect behind John Hancock's successful and widely acclaimed sports marketing programs, including the company's worldwide sponsorship of the Olympic games, the Boston Marathon, Major League Baseball, and Champions on Ice.

Return to Best Branding Books