Accidental Branding

I swore off marketing and business books several years ago; they all seem to contradict one another, and many are written by people with little or no qualifications.

However, as I'm thinking about launching a consumer brand next year, with all profits going to charity, I decided it made sense to check out a book or two on the subject. So I did just that, checking it out, in fact, from my local library. I guess there is something poetic about checking out a book from my local library to help me launch a brand that promotes reading and helps to build libraries in the developing world.

Accidental Branding, by David Vinjamuri examines seven so called "accidental brands" because they were created by entrepreneurs with little or no marketing experience. From J. Peterman to Burt's Bees, Columbia Sportswear and Craigslist, Vinjamuri conducts deep interviews with each of the entrepreneurs to learn their stories and search for commonalities.

Perhaps the most interesting point for me was that each of these brands was started by someone trying to solve a problem unique to their own personal lives. In other words, they wanted the product or service for themselves first. Offering it to others and building a community around it was almost secondary. None of these ideas were dreamed up in the abstract and tested by focus groups. These founders new, at the least, that their new brand would be hugely popular to people just like themselves.

Another important point is that most of these entrepreneurs felt it most important to primarily serve their hardcore fans, even if those groups were very small and niche. They resisted the urge to expand - or dilute - the focus of their brands as they grew to serve broader audiences. Instead, their brands became more attractive to broader audiences because of the authenticity that they deliver to their core audience.

I don't think I'm going to read a ton of marketing books moving forward, but I pulled enough from this one to propel my thinking forward as I plan my launch for next year.