10 Best Marketing Books to Read This Year
No matter how many years of marketing you have under your belt, it’s never a bad idea to stay up on current trends and try new techniques. Challenge your mind and know-how by picking up a few of the best marketing books of the year before 2019 is over.
1. The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis’ book has a way to turn higher education subject matter into an addicting inside look at understanding the human psyche. The Undoing Project holds the answers to edging out marketing competition all while keeping you entertained.
2. Red Team by Micah Zenko
Not every good idea grows fruitful. In Red Team, Zenko looks to the CIA and pharmaceutical companies, along with other organizations to prove that all marketing strategies need a healthy dose of criticism.
3. Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Robert Grant
Businesses tend to imitate other businesses. And with good reason, standing out can be for the best or it could fall flat. Robert Grant speaks to entrepreneurs everywhere by highlighting ways to think differently without facing heavy losses.
4. Contagious, Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
Hailed as one of the top marketing books, Berger explores why some ideas go viral while others do not. The Wharton School professor has successfully written a must-read. Contagious, Why Things Catch On will help place you ahead of the curve.
5. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Nike is notorious for being one of the best-marketed brands of all time. Knight’s memoir is filled with lessons and insights on how to live the vision that you push out to the world. Shoe Dog acts as a case study teaching readers how to implement the mechanics and theory of marketing tactics incredibly well.
6. Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler
A brand is not just a product or even a service. But instead, it is the strategy, copywriting, and design behind it all. In Designing Brand Identity, Alina Wheeler vividly explains every facet of what makes a brand.
7. The Autobiography of Gucci Mane by Gucci Mane
Everyone loves a success story. Gucci Mane, born Radric Davis, shares his rise from poverty in Atlanta to the well-respected and standalone personal brand that his name now holds. Through perils and jail stints, this book shares a story that every reader is sure to have a takeaway or two on how to overcome obstacles and create strong brands.
8. The Life of PT Barnum by PT Barnum
You’ve likely watched Hollywood’s take on the story, but now read what happened through PT Barnum’s eyes himself. His infamous circus isn’t the only thing that this visionary created. Barnum also invented several of the essential elements that appear in great marketing today. The Life of PT Barnum combines an interesting story with invaluable advice for entrepreneurial minds.
9. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout
Great brands can survive over time. That is exactly why Positioning is still hailed as one of the top marketing reads around, even decades after its debut. Buy this book, give it a read, then store it in a safe place so that you can refresh your mind on everything from finding weak spots in competitors, identifying the right name for a product, targeting the right niche to market and so on come some rainy day.
10. Extraordinary Popular Delusion and the Madness of Crowds by Charles MacKay
Another book that stands the test of time is that by Charles MacKay. Like many studies rooted in psychology, the more time that a theory can be tested, the better. This is exactly why MacKay’s book is still cited by contemporary writers. By implementing long-lasting research and a historical perspective into a marketing campaign, your brand will stand a better chance at affecting human behavior.
By making yourself familiar with the books listed here, you will be giving yourself and your company a leg up on the competition. Between the covers of these 10 books lies a wealth of valuable marketing information that might just solve the problem that’s keeping you up at night. Happy reading!
By: Miranda Hardesty Hoffpauir
