Faculty Bookshelf: Kellogg on Branding

New text brings Kellogg branding expertise to market

Long recognized as a leader in the marketing world, the Kellogg School is adding a new title to its expanding library of textbooks that showcase its faculty's expertise.

In September, Kellogg on Branding (Wiley & Sons) will join previous print efforts that have disseminated the insights of Kellogg professors in the disciplines of marketing, integrated marketing and technology and innovation.

"Kellogg on Branding is a collection of powerful insights and learnings," says Tim Calkins, clinical associate professor of marketing and the book's co-editor. "It represents the latest thinking about brands. Our intent is that it will be a valuable resource for executives, brand managers and students."

Boasting an array of new contributions from senior Kellogg School faculty and alumni, the text presents a comprehensive look at the foundations and implementation of current branding strategies. One of the book's strengths is that it offers both theoretical and practical perspectives on the subject. And no matter what their industry, readers will benefit from chapters focused on services, technology and package goods, among others.

The text, in part, grew out of a larger academic mission at the Kellogg School, which in 2003 launched Kellogg on Branding, an executive education course designed to help executives refine their brand-building skills. The program was exceptionally well received, with the first several sessions filling quickly, says Calkins, who, along with Alice Tybout, the Harold T. Martin Professor of Marketing and chair of the Marketing Department, is co-academic director for the course. Tybout also co-edited the new text.

Interest in branding has increased in an era of hyper-competition, commoditization and globalization, factors that have left marketers "struggling to find new conceptual bases on which to design and deliver their programs," writes Kellogg School marketing guru Philip Kotler in the book's preface.

"The haunting truth is that traditional marketing is not working," he says, adding that branding is far more than merely adding a name to an offering.