"A thoroughly comprehensive tour through the latest and best thinking in marketing and branding by our industry’s thought leaders. Sharp, succinct and refreshing. A no-nonsense journey through what it takes to make the best brands." --Charles Cadell, President – Asia Pacific, McCann Worldgroup

"What this book understands so well is that marketing is a little like chess: there are few hard and fast rules, but there are recurring patterns. To be able to spot a pattern in one place and then to apply it somewhere completely different is often the talent which separates the grand-masters from the rest." --R H Sutherland, Vice Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather UK

"The Brand Challenge is the most complete and up-to-date account of brands and branding that I have read. I am tempted to paraphrase Malvolio: “Some are born brands, some become brands, and some have branding thrust upon them.” This is not meant to sound cynical: it just reflects the hegemony of branding practice, based on its proven utility and high value to so many industries. The editor, through his passion for the subject, his persuasiveness and charm, has assembled an outstanding cast of authors – some old friends to followers of branding, but several rising stars too – to discuss the contribution of branding “discipline” to relatively new areas, like football, not-for-profit, and fashion. Peter Fisk has written an outstanding piece on innovation: read this. Read it all." --Tom Blackett, Brand Advisor

"Kartik Kompella’s The Brand Challenge provides a valuable and unique view into branding. The book offers a solid foundation into branding principles as well as insightful expert advice into how branding works across a broad set of categories and markets. Essential reading, it is both stimulating and instructive." --Kevin Lane Keller, E.B. Osborn Professor of Marketing, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth

"Branding is brought to life by seasoned experts in a dozen fascinating settings including luxury goods and much more. If you have a branding problem, then an innovative solution may lie in what someone else did in another category. This book provides dozens of impressive and varied examples." --David Aaker, author of "Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevant"

"Although there are many branding books available, this new book of readings edited by Kartikeya Kompella presents content that is different from all of the others. Expressing diverse (and sometimes extreme) points of view, the industry experts and academics in this text investigate the myriad ways branding can be used across many sectors. The collection provides a comprehensive over view of the magic of branding. Anyone interested in the nuances of how branding can be used effectively will find something new and useful in this collection." --Barbara E. Kahn, Patty and Jay H Baker Professor, Professor of Marketing, The Wharton School

"I’ve read dozens of brand strategy and advertising books along my career, but Kartik’s is a truly unique one. His approach in examining branding across multiple different industries and categories unravels insights that cannot be found in traditional marketing textbooks. The book combines vital branding concepts with the application of branding forming a powerful combination for readers. The experts who write the chapters display a wealth of knowledge in each reader friendly chapter.

Filled with easily applicable ideas and hundreds of real-life examples, this book feels like a complete “MBA in Branding”, which I strongly recommend both for those just starting a career in marketing, as well as the experts on the topic. I hope you enjoy the reading and learning as much as I did!" --Andre Felipa, Marketing VP, Latin America, Alcatel onetouch