As a young marketing executive in Nigeria in the 2000s, I did not know any marketing books by Nigerian authors to build my marketing knowledge. So, I was thrilled when Ayodotun Akinfenwa Akinfenwa announced on LinkedIn that sheβd written a book in the same week that a young marketing executive asked me to recommend a book on brand management.
Being a marketing professional attuned to the times, Ayodotun announced her book with a LinkedIn poll. She had four cover designs with four titles and asked her audience to vote for their favourite. I must admit, I did not read the blurb, so I voted for a different title which was suggestive of energising an existing brand. Having read ππͺπ³π¦ ππ± π π°πΆπ³ ππ³π’π―d, I agree that the title is apt!
Ayodotun keeps it simple stupid in ππͺπ³π¦ ππ± π π°πΆπ³ ππ³π’π―π₯. The book provides nuggets for personal and organisational brands. She begins by establishing that we are all brands even if we are unaware.
βYou have a brand as long as you have created and put something out into the world, you do,β she says.
Thereafter she covers key areas of branding, communications and content. She introduces timeless frameworks like Carl Jungβs Brand Archetypes with modern-day frameworks like the PESO Model β one of my personal favourites. Through it all, she ensures that readers from different generations find the bookβs content relevant and actionable.
Entrepreneurs and executives who struggle with content marketing will particularly find Chapter Five, ππ°π―π΅π¦π―π΅, π π°πΆπ³ ππ³π’π―π₯βπ΄ ππͺπ§π¦-ππͺπ―π¦ and Chapter Six, ππ°π―π΅π¦π―π΅ ππ΅π³π’π΅π¦π¨πΊ, helpful. I even highlighted a quote from chapter five.
It reads: βTo get ahead in marketing and in the business of your brand game, your brand needs to show some personality, generosity and authenticity by sharing information and adding value so your target audience can warm up to you.β
I love it!
Her conversational tone makes complex branding concepts accessible, and her ability to blend professional insight with personable narration keeps the reader interested.
Ayodotun brings a wealth of real-world experience to the book, catering to novice and advanced readers. However, some readers might wish for more local case studies, given her many years of working with local brands. Nonetheless, ππͺπ³π¦ ππ± π π°πΆπ³ ππ³π’π―π₯ is a good resource for anyone looking to develop or enhance their brand.
This review was originally published on my LinkedIn page.
