The Brand Bubble and E-Commerce

I’m starting to dig into The Brand Bubble. It looks fantastic. Y&R seem to have taken what we’ve really learned over the last couple of decades from Al Ries and turn it on it’s proverbial ear.

Ries is a genius, no doubt. But as an online marketer I always had a tough time having his book translate for me mentally in the online world. I’ve got images of 3 martini lunches and Darin Stevens ad pitches as I flip through the 22 laws. that don’t really translate for me. Yes, the book has been updated in recent years to take online into account, but what’s happening on the Web should be a new edition, not an addendum, in my opinion.

On the other hand – the Young and Rubicam effort seems to have a 360 degree view of what’s happening in the world of branding. More importantly, why old-school brands are about fall by the wayside because they rely too heavily on the Ries model. Too little, too late, too slow. Cut a check.

Organizations like Kiva.org, Zappos.com and even Burger King are getting it. Others like McDonald’s are missing the boat. Look out, Ronald.

As I finish up the read, I’ll give an update.