Never Mind the Sizzle...Where's the Sausage? Branding based on substance not spin

What exactly is branding really about? Can it really be as complicated as the jargon-heavy books on it suggest? Isn't it just about using advertising spin and a nice logo to cover up a bog-standard product? Bob Jones is asking these questions as he reluctantly leaves Sales to start a one-year placement as Brand Manager at Simpton's Sausages. He finds a business in crisis, and the Marketing Director's planned launch of a sausage pizza only looks set to make things worse. Never Mind the Sizzle...Wherea??s the Sausage? smuggles potent, bite-sized branding insights into a fun business story. Bob Jonesa?? brave and often comical battle to cut through the buzzwords and save the business is an easy and entertaining way to find out what branding is really about. It is irreverent and entertaining but also provides a practical way to help a wide audience understand the importance of branding, show the risks of focusing on the a??sizzlea?? of emotional appeal at the expense of real product benefits. Join the blog at wheresthesausage.typepad.com ! Praise for Never Mind the Sizzle ... Where's the Sausagea??David's created the 21st centurya??s answer to a??Who Moved My Cheese?a?? with this entertaining, easy-to-read parable of brand building.a?? --Roisin Donnelly, Marketing Director Procter & Gamble UK a??A great tool for aligning and energising every employee behind the idea of delivering the brand, that can be read and used by everyone from the CEO to the call centre.a?? --Phil Chapman, Chief Marketing Officer, T-Mobile a??Maybe the most enjoyable and productive 2 hours of reading youa??ll have done in years! A refreshingly original book that brings important lessons alive in a vivid, memorable way, for the novice and expert alike.a?? --Kevin Lane Keller, E.B. Osborn Professor of Marketing, Tuck School of Business a??From CMOs seeking a refresher to enthusiastic amateurs looking for light-hearted fun, this book reminds you of the essential truths of successful marketing in a humorous, engaging and simple way.a?? --Tim Seager, UK Marketing Director, Scottish & Newcastle a??If you want to capture and communicate the essence of your brand, this is book is full of practical tips, delivered in an inspiring and entertaining format.a?? --Andy Weston-Webb, President Mars Snackfoods Europe a??Packed with entertaining insight and wisdom about brands, this innovative tool for learning and development explains what marketers must focus on to achieve both business and personal success.a?? --Andy Bird, Founder and Managing Director, Brand Learning a??I couldna??t put this down. By following the trials and tribulations of the hero (think Bridget Jones meets The Office), you learn more about branding than in any tedious academic book.a?? --Pierre Chandon, Professor of Brand Management, INSEAD a??David Taylora??s latest book is inspired - it reads like fiction but weaves in many lessons, so by the end you are full of applicable knowledge.a?? --Carol Welch, Marketing Director, Green & Blacka??s a??A fabulous romp through the world of branding, in which Bob Jonesa?? learning curve becomes ours. Finally, a jargon-free book on brands that delivers insights clearly, passionately, and engagingly. My students will love it!a?? --Niraj Dawar, Associate Professor, Richard Ivey School of Business

David Taylor is one of the world's 50 most important marketing thinkers’ according to the CIM. He is the author of three books on branding published by John Wiley: The brandgym, Brand Stretch and brand vision. David is the founder and Managing Partner of the brandgym, a consultancy that coaches teams to create a clear brand vision and the action plan to turn this into growth. He has led brand vision projects for many top brands including Hellmann's, T-Mobile, Persil and Bertolli.