Rating: 
Summary: Brand Warfare- A great book for your company's success
Review: Brand Warfare does not like the other brand building books, it is written by the CEO of John Hancock, one of the major insurance companies in the state. The sharing of his past experience on building brand and working experience are very variable for the readers.The author try to use 10 rules for teaching the reader to build up the killer brand, these ten rules can be classified into several ¡§P¡¨ in marketing mix like promotion, place, product, and process and people in services marketing. Because of this structure, the content of this book is very comprehensive and each rule is inter-related because every element of marketing mix would affect the whole brand image. The book cover the content of advertising, distribution, people and sponsorship which are common strategies we used in building brand. As author has many working experience in the business world, and he understand the basic factors and requirement for building a good brand in business, therefore, the content of the book does not have any academic theory. All of them are his practical experience and the strategies he has used in the past for building brands. As John Hancock and Citibank which are the companies he have worked are providing professional financial services, therefore, his strategies used are more applicable in services industry, in other words, marketers can understand the brand building of services industry which more areas are covered and not many books would concern. Also, the author have worked for advertising firm and have worked for several advertising campaign and public relation campaign, therefore, he would understand the real practice of advertising firm. In some chapters, the author will explain the fact by using two points of view, one is from client¡¦s view and one is from the advertising agent¡¦s view. Then you would understand the entire fact and have a clear picture for making brand strategy. In each chapter, author has organized well, and several messages as the main ideas must be shared, and most of them are the common problems we faced in business world, and he would try to remind us and suggest solutions for us to tackle. Therefore, the suggestions are practical and worthy. He also did not hesitate to share the example, and all of them are interesting, and well selected. Brand Warfare is a good book, not only for building up a good brand, but also running a successful business, because in the book, the author shared a lot of his management style, company philosophy and culture of John Hancock. So this book is for the one who want to run a successful business.
Rating: 
Summary: Must Read
Review: David D'Alessandro has transformed John Hancock from a clubby, play-it-safe mutual company, to a leading, publically-traded financial services group where accountability, integrity and growth are embraced. Marketing has played a critical role in the company's transformation. Unlike other life insurance companies, Hancock is led by a CEO who understands branding and embraces big ideas. D'Alessandro's list of pioneering moves and accomplishments within the world of sports marketing and sponsorship is long and legendary. The first sponsor - and saviour - of the Boston Marathon, the first to completely rename a college football bowl game for the sponsor, the first in the insurance category to become a worldwide Olympic partner, and the first sponsor to stand up to the IOC in the midst of its bribery scandal over bribes and say: "This will not stand. Change your ways or suffer the consequences." Anyone who wants to know brand building, communications, public relations, advertising and sports marketing from the inside out, should read Brand Warfare. Written by an acclaimed CEO and branding maverick, the book introduces D'Alessandro's "brand first" philosophy and explains why brand must always take top priority over every other business consideration. And, unlike books written by academicians and consultants, Brand Warfare's ideas are real world and street tested. D'Alessandro engineered Hancock's double-digit growth rate at a time when many of its competitors went under. Whether you're an experienced CEO or just starting your career, anyone in any industry will benefit from D'Alessandro's 10 principles and his "brand first" approach. Brand Warfare should become required reading for business professionals.
Rating:
Summary: The Top Brand
Review: I am a high school student who read this book to learn more about economics. This is a very interesting and informative book which teaches you what goes on behind the scenes of big businesses. Whether you have a major brand, a minor brand, or no brand at all, if you wish to make it successful, this book is full of helpful tips you can use. It includes advice on everything from advertising to the way you should treat your brand. David D'Alessandro has presented this useful information in an enjoyable and easy to understand way. If you are interested in brands for whatever reason, this book is full of all the right stuff.
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Summary: A clever and humorous read for the average econ student.
Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I'm an economics student Santa Monica High School and when assigned a book report on the subject, I found most of the other books I was considering full of jargon and code words that made them confusing and somewhat daunting for me to pick up. Such is not the case with Brand Warfare. It's is extremely engagingly written, very lucid, and full of funny stories. The book also works because Mr. D'Allesandro is a major-league character and has a remarkably dynamic outlook on the world for a guy who runs a life insurance company. I'm probably not the target audience for this book, but I found it to fun and insightful and well worth the time.
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Summary: Good book for a layperson interested in the corporate world
Review: Overall, Brand Warfare is a good book. While it does feel like a plug for John Hancock, D'Alessandro creates a relatively interesting read on ten rules of how to (and how not to) establish a positive, profitable, and lasting brand. He focuses on the idea that a company's brand is everything from its advertisements to its relationship with its employees. Everything related to a company creates a lasting impression on the consumer's mind about its brand; the most important concern for any company is, therefore, the brand. D'Alessandro supports his ideas with evidence from his own experiences in the business world and from simple observation. Although these examples are too frequently gathered from his work for John Hancock, they are generally interesting, often comical, and clearly illustrate what he is trying to prove. This book may not be the best guideline for someone who is already a CEO, but for a layperson interested in the corporate world, it is a worthwhile read.
Rating: 
Summary: A few good moments, but only a few
Review: The good news is, Mr. D'Alessandro "gets" and communicates that a brand is about far, far more than simply the name of a company or product. The bad news is, this book is more of a fluffy accolade to John Hancock's marketplace decisions than a real business book. His "10 rules" seem to serve simply to set the stage for stories about John Hancock, rather than being even an outline for overall healthy brand development (two rules about sports sponsorships - and how many companies actually face THAT issue?). However, there's good information on the value of consistency in action and communication for the brand, and a great, strong message about support of the brand being the responsibility of every employee. A few interesting brand examples (and a few REALLY tired ones - c'mon, Tylenol and Nike?) also add some depth to the rules. Overall - sorry Amazon - I say it's worth borrowing for your next plane ride (1 1/2 hour read), but not worth adding to your library.
Rating:
Summary: excellent!
Review: This book is excellent! I can't ever think of any other way to explain how to build the killer brand.
Rating:
Summary: Can't drop it!
Review: This book is excellent! I can't ever think of any other way to explain how to build the killer brand. D' Alessandro explains everything in his 10 rules and stressed greatly on how to be successful in any type of business.
Rating:
Summary: To Read To Prepare
Review: This book is great. For somebody planning to go into clothing, retail, or anytype of competitive buisness this book is a must read. D'Alessandro is able to put even the most complicated of theories into lamen's terms. D'Alessandro adds humor but still keeps the tone serious and informing. It is obvios he has had pre-expieriance and many hours contemplating stradegy. At points it can get slightly redundant but this is just to reitterate the message he is trying to convey.Enjoy....
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book is not boring at all, it makes you think about the brands that we buy ourselves. This book explains the importance of a brand. The companies try to get their brand known and the more it is known then the more success they will have. I liked the book because it made me realize that the business world is really competitive out there and they have to come out with something new and unique in order to set them apart from the rest of the other brands. I, as a consumer never stopped to think of how the brands got my attention and while I was reading this book I learned the whole process behind building a brand. This book is really informative and I believe that if you read it you will enjoy it.
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