At B2B News Network, we know how fast the pace of the advertising market is changing. Even 10 years ago, did anyone think “sadvertising” and “content marketing” would dominate our marketing conversations, or that hashtags would play such an important role in major marketing campaigns?
To help you and your business stay at the forefront of industry trends, we’ve compiled a list (in no particular order) of the top six advertising books for 2015 that we consider “must-reads.”
Paid Attention: Innovative Advertising for a Digital world
By Faris Yakob
Coming April 28, 2015 from Kogan Page Publishers
Hailed as “recommended reading for anyone in the advertising and marketing business,” according to Winston Binch, Partner and Chief Digital Officer of Deutsch LA, Paid Attention offers a comprehensive exploration of the evolution of the advertising industry, and of how new technologies and social media have influenced what consumers expect from modern brands. Not only does Faris apply the latest insights into behavioural economics to brands and market research, he also provides practical tools and examples to help advertising strategists in their careers. Says Will Collin, founding partner of Naked Communications, “At a time when almost every pundit seems to be questioning whether advertising has a future, Faris is offering some answers.”
YouthNation: Building Remarkable Brands in a Youth-Driven Culture
By Matt Britton [pictured above]
Coming April 20, 2015 from Wiley
From the publishers of the “For Dummies” brand comes Youth Nation. In a time where “youth is no longer an age — it’s a commodity,” marketing media expert Matt Britton offers a roadmap to brand relevancy in our youth-driven economy. If you want to know what it takes to stay connected, agile, authentic, and relevant in a marketplace which is changing “at the pace of a teenager’s attention span,” this book provides a thorough plan, as well as the ideas and strategies for putting that plan into action.
The Marketing Plan Handbook: Develop Big-Picture Marketing Plans for Pennies on the Dollar
By Robert W. Bly
Second Edition Coming August 11, 2015 from Entrepreneur Press
This summer, B2B and direct marketing expert Robert W. Bly releases his second edition of The Marketing Plan Handbook with Entrepreneur Press. In it, he offers a twelve-step process for creating and implementing a successful marketing plan which is based on Bly’s own time-tested methods. Readers can expect to find checklists and worksheets to help guide them through putting their marketing ideas into action. MaryEllen Tribby, founder of WorkingMomsOnly.com, says, “It’s a no-brainer that applying the wisdom in this book will add incremental dollars to your business’ bottom line.”
Agency: Starting a Creative Firm in the Age of Digital Marketing
By Rick Webb
Released January 6, 2015 by Palgrave MacMillan
“This is not just a book. It’s the playbook I wish I had when I started my company.” This high praise is courtesy of Baratunde Thurston, CEO and co-founder of Cultivated Wit, on investor and writer Rick Webb’s latest book. Agency is written for specialist agencies and freelancers who could use some guidance on the mechanics of starting and running a creative services firm. With Agency, Webb provides a comprehensive guidebook that gives readers the knowledge, strategies and understanding they will need to ensure their start-up and young firms survive in a competitive marketplace.
100 Ideas That Changed Advertising
By Simon Veksner
Released January 5, 2015 by Laurence King Publishing
A collection of “the overnight revolutions, the flashes of inspiration, and the long-term evolutions that have shaped the industry,” 100 Ideas That Changed Advertising offers insight into the constantly changing industry of marketing and advertising. Simon Veksner, author and creative director at DDB Sydney, guides readers through the key ideas behind major shifts in advertising, and looks at the history of branding and the development of the first advertising formats. He also explores the advertising industry’s current mindset for reaching new audiences, including modern research into the concepts of neuromarketing and behavioural economics.
Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out
By Marc Ecko
Reprint Edition Coming May 5, 2015 from Touchstone Books
Fashion designer, entrepreneur and artist Marc Ecko explores the anatomy of a brand in this reprint edition of his book, Unlabel. He says, “You … are a brand. Whether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not.” By exploring the mistakes as well as the successes that Ecko himself experienced on his journey to creating his highly successful Ecko Unlimited and Complex Media brands, Unlabel empowers readers to channel their creativity, “find the courage to defy convention, and summon the confidence to act and compete in any environment.” CNBC states, “Marc is living proof that you can be a marketing and business whiz and still be a true artist.” And film director and screenwriter George Lucas says, “No one has made STAR WARS cooler than ECKO. Marc’s unique vision became a global force. This is the text book I wish I could have bought in college.”
Photo of Mark Britton courtesy Wiley
