Balanced Brand

Companies often assume that if their sales are good, then their branding must be effective. But they pay alarmingly little attention to what it is that actually... » 

Companies often assume that if their sales are good, then their branding must be effective. But they pay alarmingly little attention to what it is that actually sustains their brand and reputation, leaving them vulnerable to dangerous backlash if a rift develops between their values and those of their stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders, and community members. Well-known and seemingly successful brands often suffer from this backlash (e.g. Nike and overseas sweatshops, Wal-Mart and unfair employment practices, McDonald's and excessively fatty foods). Branding expert Tom Foley shows how to understand and effectively respond to the needs of each stakeholder group, thereby emphasizing reputation in balance with brand and avoiding damaging misalignment between them. The book provides tools for identifying potential backlash flashpoints and for designing internal and external communication strategies for projecting appropriate values. «