Dennis C. Flynn, Brand Clout

Molly's Reviews:

Title: Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance & Profitability Amidst Constant Change

Informative Read .. Recommended .

The Review

The narrative is not a story book per se, rather this is an educational or training manual for those who hope to create a lasting impression for their work or business. Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance & Profitability Amidst Constant Change is a 134 page work comprising thirteen chapters filled with information to guide the entrepreneur toward improving customer relationships and enhancing customer loyalty. The preface explains the role of the CEO and corporate leadership. In chapter one the business model is explained. Why brand is important and brand identity and equity are revealed in chapters 3 and 4. Chapter 8 presents information for understanding how best to get along with customers and employees. Communication and its importance is the focus for chapters 9 and 10. Continuous relevance is the theme for Chapter 12. Chapter summaries and notes about the author are included in the work.

Filled with graphs, highlights, diagrams and graphics Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance & Profitability Amidst Constant Change is a well devised work meant to serve as a training tool for business owners. Chapters are kept short, writing is crisp, to the point and accomplished. Chapters are devised so that busy business owners can read a chapter at a sitting while waiting for the train to pass the intersection, or at their desk over a quick lunch. Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance & Profitability Amidst Constant Change is meant to be read, kept at hand, and re read as needed. Writer/marketing consultant Dennis Flynn has taken knowledge gained from his own business life and has turned that knowledge into a work in which chapters are presented with an overview, explanations of terms or other words used, and easily understood methods and techniques for achieving success. Definitions of terms, illustrations, bulleted points are all used to help the reader understand the principles offered. Chapter notes reinforces the key points covered in each chapter.

On the plus side Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance and Profitability Amidst Constant Change introduces the reader to consultant Dennis Flynn's Sonar Model for brand development. Readers will learn to create a process for evaluating and identifying technologies needed for achieving competitive brand advantage, develop new perspectives on existing and upcoming alliance opportunities for strengthening existing brands, and create increased leverage relating to brand options for competitive advantage. Flynn discusses future trends in brand marketing along with importance for using customer feedback effectively. Learning to ask the right questions is fundamental to success in the opinion of the writer who sets out a model for aiding companies in designing business models to take them to a solution share position. The Voice of the Customer is a tool designed to be used to glean perspective and intelligence from employees, investors, current, past and prospects and others who may have a stake in the success of the venture.

Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance and Profitability Amidst Constant Change is filled with specific branding information and useful methods and technologies presented in easily read form. Writer Flynn's avowed purpose for the book is to help business owners evaluate and reconfigure assets for more powerful business and brand outcomes. Develop new perspectives on existing and upcoming alliance opportunities that can strengthen your brand. Create increased leverage of brand options for competitive advantage. Create a process for evaluating and identifying technologies that are and will be critical in achieving competitive brand advantage.

Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance & Profitability Amidst Constant Change is an interesting, easily read work sure to please those who are thinking about beginning their own business as well as for the experienced business owner who may be needing a little helping hand to improve his image with his customers. This book has a place on the home office library shelf as well as on the desk of business owners who operate in the public sector.

Enjoyed this informative read, happy to recommend.

Reviewed by: molly martin

ISBN: 0 9744149 5 6

Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance and Profitability Amidst Constant Change

Dennis Flynn, Cameo Publications, LLC, $17.95, 144 pages, (February 2005), available in bookstores and online at www.cameopublications.com

As business leaders in every industry attempt to position their brands at the top of the heap, they are quickly learning that brand marketing rules have changed in today's economy. In his new book, Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance and Profitability Amidst Constant Change, strategic marketing consultant Dennis Flynn teaches business leaders of both small business and large corporations how to position themselves for profitability and relevance as they move their brand marketing efforts into the future.

Flynn explains that the key questions confronting marketers today are: "What is the true value of my brand?" and "How can I manage my brand in order to get the greatest return on that value?" These are difficult questions to answer. While some of the traditional brand and marketing issues are still relevant, the playing field has shifted. Especially in light of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks, companies are operating in a new state of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Brand value may be a company's only lifeline to compete successfully in a complex marketing environment where confusion, chaos, and information-overload reign, and where complexity is the norm.

In his book, Flynn uses his experience as a consultant in a variety of companies across many industries and markets to provide insight and perspective. He explains the importance of branding and brand strategy, and getting buy-in from everyone involved-from the CEO to the employees to the customers. He discusses the future trends in brand marketing, the importance of using customer feedback effectively, and the value of treating employees as your number one customers.

Fundamental to his book are the two key research methodologies known as The Sonar Model and Voice of the Customer. Sonaring is a tool for guiding a company through an evaluation process of their current business model and asking the right (and tough) questions. The model then becomes a navigation tool that allows the company to design a future business model (alternative future) that will take them beyond a market share mentality to a "solution share" and ultimately an "opportunity share" position. The Voice of The Customer is a qualitative methodology that provides brand perspectives and intelligence from all interested stakeholders, including employees, management, value chain participants, investors/investment analysts, current customers, lost customers, and prospects. These two tools will help company leaders design profitable futures by maintaining the relevance of their brands.

Flynn concludes his book with the Ten Rules of Continuous Relevance and sums up the purpose of his book with the following: "True branding is ongoing and extends beyond the marketing organization to every aspect of the company. It requires the entire organization to be in sync with the brand vision and its purpose in the markets it serves. Finance, sales, operations, and HR must understand and embrace the brand and reflect the brand's values in everything they do."

While this book is chock-full of useful and specific branding information, the author presents the material in an easy-to-understand format. The chapters contain information in traditional essay form, definitions of terms, concise bulleted points, and illustrations -- all of which will help the reader understand the principles. The chapters conclude with a "chapter notes" section, which reinforces the key points covered in each chapter.

As businesses today struggle to make their brand the brand of choice, they are realizing the rules of the game have drastically changed. Brand Clout: Maintaining Relevance and Profitability Amidst Constant Change provides the tools business leaders need to gain acceptance and support by the public, their employees, and shareholders, ultimately leading to increased profits and opportunity share.

About the author:

Dennis Flynn is a consultant and founder of The Sonar Group, a strategic consulting firm. He is also Senior Fellow of API's The Media Center, a non-profit think-tank focused on the intersection of media, technology, and society. His company, The Sonar Group, is dedicated to helping CEOs and their leadership teams refine, revitalize, and refocus their organizations by concentrating on business and brand modeling and strategy to successfully compete for the future.