Every one of the largest, most successful corporations were, at some point, mere startups. McKee explains what enables some companies to grow bigger and better, while others stumble along year after year, running but never winning the race. The difference is that the biggest and best brands aren’t slaves to conventional marketing wisdom. McKee shows by example how the same, sometimes counter-intuitive, strategies used by the biggest brands can also best serve small and mid-sized companies. Among the topics explored: How can a company grow big by thinking small? Why do the best companies sometimes avoid being better? Why do brands that create the most memorable advertising stay away from focus groups? What is the secret to an effective slogan? When can admitting a negative become a positive? A diverse selection of companies provides powerful lessons, ranging from traditional icons like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and General Motors, to new media models like Google and Facebook. This book appeals not only to time- starved executives, but also to middle managers and owners of small businesses who have a wide variety of marketing problems to address and who need to change the way they think about how to generate healthy, consistent growth.
