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"A must read for anyone in business who wants their brand to be relevant in today's economy.", This is a quick read loaded with insight and data that every smart business person should read if they want to stay current and embrace the concept of opening up their brand.

"The brand isn't everything", OPEN Brand by Kelly Mooney and Nita Rollins starts with the thesis that the internet is changing how brands work. The problem with this thesis is that it assumes that brands work. So many recent business books get hung up on the all powerful brand and never really stop to think about what a brand is in the grand scheme of things. In other words, marketers become punch drunk on their own marketing even if the general public doesn't.

OPEN Brand attempts to be a handbook for traditional marketing to learn how to use the concepts of open source, the internet, social networking and web 2.0 to revolutionize the branding experience while lowering expenses and increasing ROI. Unfortunately the book's description of all these things sounds as genuine as a Baby Boomer using l33tspeak.

For traditional marketers, OPEN Brand may very well be a good starting point if they've never played with the internet beyond their own company's website but it is not the all-in-one handbook that it hopes to be. The twenty-somethings that OPEN branding will apparently work on just aren't that interested in brands.

The version I was given to read makes use of a green, black and white color scheme. Yes, green is making a comeback on the internet with so much interest in the environment with the current energy crisis and of course global warming. This book though has nothing to do with the environment and yet it's sporting a hideous green color throughout the book. Important buzz words are printed in green making them hard and annoying to read. I'm hoping that later editions of this book will do away with the presentation and focus more on the message.

Green on an internet marketing book outside of the new environmental niche marketing is so 1999; think pre dot-com bubble. For the concept of OPEN (on-demand, personal, engaging and networked) branding to work, the internet model has to come out of the dark ages of the 1990s and take a serious look at how the internet is being used now, not how marketers think it's being used.

"Boring and uneducational", While the book looks cool and has impressive design, the content is poor. It was so boring that it was really hard to finish it. Also the information it provided was low value to me.

I don't recommend this book to people who know what is web 2.0. If you have no clue, you might learn something new.

"Strategies to create a decisive competitive advantage in a Web-made world",
As I read this slender but remarkably thought-provoking volume, I was reminded of Henry Chesbrough's breakthrough insights about what he calls "the open business model" and the open mindset it requires. "A business model performs two important functions: it creates value and it captures a portion of that value. It creates value by defining a series of activities from raw materials through to the final consumer that will yield a new product or service with value being added throughout the various activities. The business model captures value by establishing a unique resource, asset, or position within that series of activities, where the firm enjoys a competitive advantage."

Having thus established a frame-of-reference, Chesbrough continues: "An open business model uses this new division of innovation labor - both in the creation of value and in the capture of a portion of that value. Open models create value by leveraging many more ideas, due to their inclusion of a variety of external concepts. Open models can also enable greater value capture, by using a key asset, resource, or position not only in the company's own business model but also in other companies businesses."

This is precisely what Kelly Mooney and Nita Rollins have in mind when explain when charting the same trajectory of consumer empowerment discussed in Mooney's first book, The Ten Demandments: Rules to Live By in the Age of the Demanding Consumer. The Open Brand "examines what few could have predicted: The extent of consumers' overwhelming motivation for and adeptness at being heard, making a mark, controlling their experiences, sharing products, and sharing opinions....Marketers have to rethink their approach in the face of the mounting power and reach of consumers - both as individuals and communities...The next step is to stage and support experiences that pull customers into brand participation in a way that's relevant to their lives."

As the title of their book indicates, Mooney and Rollins insist that a brand must be O.P.E.N.: On-demand, Personal, Engaging, and Networked. That is, whatever today's consumers are seeking, they want it - and often get it - "right now." Also, it is imperative to bring the given brand as close as possible to each consumer's real-time needs, wants, and expectations. Moreover, brand marketers must development content that is "immersive, participatory and relevant in order to earn a place in the social web and consumer conversations" because open brands must provide "meaningful and engrossing experiences that foster consumer relationships online - and off." Finally, open brands must "become part of social networks by marketing to the niche of communal consumers who interact with other like-minded consumers online." These are not merely desirables. They are imperatives. Mooney and Rollins explain why...and they also explain how to think through the process by which to associate these attributes with any brand, be it a product, service, or person.

In essence, marketing's primary function is to create or increase demand. Without differentiation, all brands seem the same. Even when differentiation has been determined, however, it must be recognized as such by the target consumer. And even then, the challenge remains to position the differentiated brand so that it appeals to the target consumer in terms of its immediate availability, its relevance, its ability to provide "meaningful and engrossing experiences that foster consumer relationships online - and off," and offer the promise of being able to support and enrich interactive social networks.

Mooney and Rollins identify and briefly discuss eleven companies ("alpha openers" and "enablers" such as Amazon, Blogspot, Flickr, Google, and Wikipedia) "that have innovated or leveraged internet and telecommunications technologies to benefit consumers in new and significant ways." They briefly discuss a number of personal brands, "icitizens," to indicate "just how widely brands must cast their nets to catch up with these trendsetters, truth tellers and tastemakers." Of special interest is what they have to say about what they identify as "The Open Brand Metric System." (They provide a chart on Page 163 that consolidates all of the key points. This will facilitate, indeed expedite frequent review of those points later.) The details of this system are best revealed within Mooney and Rollins' narrative, in context. However, I can say now is that the information goes a long way toward answering the question "How formulate business objectives, foundation metrics, and emerging metrics for each of the four components of the O.P.E.N. system.

In the final chapter, they provide a distillation of some of the key themes for their reader to consider when "opening" her or his brand. I recommend that the material in this chapter be read and re-read with great care, then frequently reviewed later as well as the chart on Page 63. Credit Mooney and Rollins with providing a wealth of information as well as their own suggestions to those who are struggling to market a brand in a global marketplace in which there are more opportunities than ever before to connect, to create interaction, and most importantly, to respond effectively to the needs and interests of consumers who have more power and less patience then ever before.

* * * * *

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Chesbrough's Open Innovation: Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating And Profiting from Technology and the more recent Open Business Models: How to Thrive in the New Innovation Landscape as well as two books by Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap (Expanded Edition) and the more recent Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands.

"I expected it to be better, more complete...", ...but it is not bad at all either. Is is mostly focused on branding for the Internet and not all kinds of branding resource. In those terms I think the real purpose of the book was met and it defined well the term "OPEN" Brand and some of it's aplications in a technology based global economy.

I did learn many things but I expected a bit more from this book in terms, maybe of the origins of branding, it's evolution, etc... I wish I could get to put my hands in a better, more complete book about branding,[...]

Read this reviews before You buy...

"The Future of Brands", Many books have emerged touching discussing the emergence of the internet, social media, and online conversations and their impact on marketing and advertising.

Mooney and Rollins take this one step farther to take a look at how brands need to adapt and "OPEN" up in order to be successful in this new landscape.

Great book for anyone looking for ideas on where the future of business is headed.



"Smart synthesis of trends and tactics", There are two schools of thought on the role of the 'expert' in consulting industries: (1) it's our job to be the smartest guy in the room on our 'best at' subject or (2) it's our job to make our client feel like the smartest guy in the room.

Mooney/Rollins definitely fall in the latter. They've built a book that converges all the big ideas and groundswell of momentum around the social Web into a simple story on impact and action.

One that any marketer would find accessible and very quotable.

I say 'built a book' because it's the structure that agency wonks will be attracted to. A visual approach to the ideas and concepts we talk about every day, repeatable cases and solid frameworks.

For clients and converts, it's all content.

Tons of fresh, smart ideas that will have you scribbling notes in the margins.

"Anyone can be a brand", As social networking via the Internet continues to explode and branch off into new avenues, it is inevitable that standard advertising methods are becoming increasingly antiquated and ineffective. According to Kelly Mooney and Nita Rollins in The Open Brand: When Push Comes to Pull in a Web-Made World, today's tech-savvy consumer demands a larger role in brand establishment. More importantly, the influence they wield over prospective customers is unlimited.

Successful brands know that in order to build a reputation and gather repeat customers, they must create an interactive, on-demand experience for the public. Easily accessible reviews, forums, and 24/7 customer service are minimum requirements. The days of static sites are past and brick-and-mortar stores are finding it more difficult to operate without Web accessibility. Customers demand a personalized experience that focuses on their own unique needs rather than a generic message.

In addition, a brand must appeal to a customer's sense of ego and identity. Shoppers rely more than ever on the suggestions of friends, viewing standard advertising as seedy manipulation. Today's consumers can easily train themselves to ignore ads and commercials. But knowledgeable friends and colleagues are not limited to those consumers interact with on a personal level. The Internet has propelled a legion of nobodies to seemingly overnight fame and continues to uncover new celebrities on a daily basis.

Here we arrive at the core message of The Open Brand, that anybody, anywhere, has the ability to make a brand through simple word of mouth, using the Internet as a platform. Part two chronicles the "rise of the iCitizen," noting seventeen influential self-made online celebrities, including Dane Cook, Perez Hilton, and Harriet Klausner, and why industries should care what they have to say. YouTube, MySpace, and Blogger are just some of the outlets that allow any average person to experience their "15 minutes of fame."

Mooney and Rollins have an eye for trends, and focus on several companies that have already successfully immersed themselves in this new arena of branding. Much of the book lists suggestions for building a brand and utilizing the limitless resources the Internet has to offer. As a blogger, I was particularly interested in the authors' emphasis on the influence us common folk have. It is clear they consider bloggers an important outlet to marketing. They also list some pretty surprising regulations that most people probably aren't even aware exist. The glossary is also a useful tool. Until I read this book, I used RSS on a daily basis, but never knew what the acronym stood for. Now I do.

The layout of the book's graphics and text makes its source (marketing experts) apparent. Large, attention-grabbing fonts and contrasting colors create a fun reading experience. The messages are short, to the point, and effective. The principles within could be utilized by large companies or the blogger next door, but are essential for building a name in the current state of networking.


"Consumers drive branding today", Anyone who is involved in marketing, product development, sales, public relations, or customer service should read this book.

Traditionally, companies have developed their message and pushed it out to their customers--this is push marketing. Companies would push demand through the sales channels. So, the various efforts were company-driven: product development, marketing, sales, and customer service, to name a few.

Today, the marketing model is increasingly a pull model. Customers pull demand through the various channels. And not just to the companies--but to a vast network of other people. This massive customer communication puts customers, not companies, in the driver's seat. If marketing is a show, the audience of customers now controls the stage. This is why a book like The Open Brand matters.

The book consists of four Parts. Part One consists of three chapters. These focus on the concept of "Open." The author has an acronym:

O: On-demand.
P: Personal.
E: Engaging.
N. Networked.
These describe today's marketing environment. While customers are empowered due to online tools such as Instant Messaging, e-mail, blogs, and communities, the effects of their communications reach well beyond the online world into every nook and cranny of the offline world as well.

Part II discusses the iCitizen. The power of the consumer is far different from what it was a few years ago. What is this power, and how did the iCitizen end up with it? Who are iCitizens? Who has more influence--a few celebrities, or thousands of regular people who all have a voice? Part II answers these questions and more. It also explains how and why the iCitizen can be both the medium and the message.

Part III explains the response to the iCitizen. It presents a strategic framework that allows a company to make sense of Part I (the social Web) and Part II (the iCitizen). It discusses the two trends that, more than any others, anchor the open brand framework:

The emergence of consumer notoriety. This is in stark contrast to what has historically been consumer anonymity with regard to brands (and the world). Now consumers can be highly visible, almost instantly. The implications are profound.
The emergence of creative production. This is in stark contrast to simple, uncritical consumption. Today, we have a dazzling array of engaging online activities that didn't exist just a few years ago. Someone writes a blog or releases a video, and a viewpoint (good or bad) can easily go viral.
Part IV is titled "Getting to Open." It's based on what the authors call "The Four OPEN Experiences." Different people experience the Web in different ways. The authors classify these as:

Collectively inclined icitizens believe "I connect."
Cultural change agents believe "I am."
Digital competence seekers believe "I can."
Celebrity-motivated icitizens believe "I matter."
Do you know which group (or experience) has the most power? The answer may surprise you, and that's OK. What's not OK is not learning the answer and doing something about it. What you do, exactly, depends on several interdependent factors. Part IV addresses those.

When you're done reading this book, you'll have an understanding of who is really driving many of the choices companies make. More importantly, you'll have a framework for developing a suitable response with long-term viability.

The book has an appendix with a glossary, acknowledgements, and index.