... AND THE BOOKS THAT TEACH
Information is Beautiful
David McCandless
Never before have flow charts and org charts looked like works of art. Those of us who love stats and figures and those who love imagery and design integrity no longer need to battle. Buy the book because it feels important to hold in your hands and then mark David’s website in your favourites. Read his blog. Follow him. Learn.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Al Ries and Jack Trout
This book is a classic. Although it was written in 1993 and the sited case studies are mostly irrelevant in today’s market, the fundamentals of marketing are the same. It’s a quick read. Even if you skim the categories to look at how much consumers have evolved (and try to remember some of the long forgotten brands like Altair 8800), this book will get you thinking and help you remember the goals of marketing.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
Al Ries and Laura Ries
Key lessons and advice for building a global brand. It was written in 1998 before social media made us as impatient as a toddler and better informed than most CEOs, but some rules never change. One of our favourite laws is #3: The law of publicity.
The Elements of Style
William Strunk and E.B. White
Written in 1918 and currently available in its fifth edition, this book endures the test of time. Keep it close to ensure you know the fundamentals of language, but also know that language evolves. The idea of an ‘m-dash’ versus an ‘n-dash’ is archaic now that typewriters are obsolete. In the MadLegs Style Guide, we choose to omit a serial comma before ‘and’ to avoid a clunky, heavy look to written words. While everyone above 30 was taught that you shouldn’t start a sentence with a conjunction, sometimes, starting with ‘AND’ gives the sentence the emphasis and attention that formal lead-ins can’t accomplish. Our comments don’t give you permission for sloppy writing – you still must learn the basics – but then you can develop your own voice.
Working with Words
Brian S. Brooks & James L. Pinson
My copy of this book looks as all good books should: well used and loved. There are post-it notes sticking out, pages folded and entire passages highlighted in blue. This book served as my primary textbook in my very first journalism class. Many will argue that it is outdated (and I will agree on some points), but it taught me to love language and to experiment with headlines and catchy copy to draw in the reader and capture precious attention. Marketers should learn from journalisms.
Competitive Strategy and Competitive Advantage
Michael E. Porter
These books aren’t quick reads and require advanced understanding of business models and economics, but every marketer should know these fundamentals before creating a marketing or business plan. How can you grow if you don’t know where you are? What is the competitive landscape? What external forces are pushing your bottom line? What’s your exit strategy? How do you measure success? Competitive strategies must be based on solid understanding of these forces and factors - these books give you the analytical techniques to do so.
or click here to discover - this one is Harvard
click here to buy competitive strategy
click here to buy competitive advantage
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE INCLUDED LINKS TO BUY THE LISTED BOOKS, IT DOESN'T BENEFIT MADLEGS MEDIA. IT'S JUST FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. HAPPY READING.