I've never been too keen on marketing or business books. They can be great for frameworks and beginnings of best practice of course.
However, everyone else will be reading the same books and, therefore doing the same kind of work.
I like the ones that give you a totally fresh perspective on things, or a unique insight.
Here's a couple worth looking at.
When, by Daniel Pink. Unique human insight into how timing is everything and how to time things right. From why reaching people at different times of the day requires different messaging mood and context, to the importance in any situation where you want to be remembered, of being first, last or totally memorable. Also, why being 40ish is the most miserable time of your life. Great.
Watching the English by Kate Fox. Only useful to a UK person, but real life insight to the hidden rules that govern culture here. Who know that the chip could have so much meaning.
Why Most Things Fail by Paul Ormerod, a brilliant pop at the crapness of most economic theory. Evidence based thinking on why most markets are impossible to predict because they're just too complex - the only way to really help survival for any organisation is constant innovation. Make stuff happen, because you don't know what will happen to you.
The Science of Storytelling, Will Storr. I know, I know, bloody brand stories. I don't want you to read this for that. Rather, it shows how plot lines, inciting incidents and all the matter, but people ultimately relate to people. Characterisation, a target audience with real flaws and a gaps between how they see the world or themselves v how it really is/they are, can drive properly inspiring creative world that touches us all. In the book it's book and films, but advertising and stuff is competing with real culture, so you may as well learn from real creatives. It's a different way to think about insights but also, a great way to think about client problems because, in many cases, what is driving many problems is the difference between how they they think people see them/who buys them and the truth.
Black Box Thinking By Matthew Syed. A tour de force against great leaps of insight that rarely happen and the reliability of incremental gains. Brilliance comes from hard work and looking for little ways to improve. Even Darwinism came from lots of work and ideas by countless individuals, if Darwin hadn't put it in the back of the net, someone else would. in fact they did, Wallace.
Oh, and it's sobering reading for leaders with big egos who have forgotten to listen, stifling potential greatness by putting themselves under pressure to be the one that always saves the day. It's so liberating to be a strategy type who doesn't have amazing insights, but is able to spot insight from others. That starts with being able to listen.
Anyway.
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