What Great Brands Do

The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best From the Rest

Denise Lee Yohn

Jossey-Bass, January 2014

It’s tempting to believe that brands like Apple, Nike and Zappos achieved their iconic statuses because of serendipity, an unattainable magic formula, or even the genius of a single visionary leader. However, these companies all adopted specific approaches and principles that transformed their ordinary brands into industry leaders. In other words, great brands can be built—and Denise Lee Yohn knows exactly how to do it. Delivering a fresh perspective, Yohn’s What Great Brands Do teaches an innovative brand-as-business strategy that enhances brand identity while boosting profit margins, improving company culture, and creating stronger stakeholder relationships. Drawing from twenty-five years of consulting work with such top brands as Frito-Lay, Sony, Nautica and Burger King, Yohn explains key principles of her brand-as-business strategy.

  • Reveals the seven key principles that the world’s best brands consistently implement
  • Presents case studies that explore the brand building successes and failures of companies of all sizes including GE, IKEA, Chipotle Mexican Grill and other remarkable brands
  • Provides tools and strategies that organizations can start using right away

Filled with targeted guidance for CEOs, COOs, entrepreneurs, and other organization leaders, and named as one of Inc. Magazine’s Top Marketing Books of 2014, What Great Brands Do is an essential blueprint for launching any brand to meteoric heights.

Available at the following retailers

Book Author Img

About the Author

Blending a fresh perspective, twenty-five years of experience working with world-class brands including Sony, Frito-Lay, and Burger King, and a talent for inspiring audiences, Denise Lee Yohn is a leading authority on building and positioning exceptional brands.

Denise initially cultivated her brand-building approaches through several high-level positions in advertising and client-side marketing. She served as lead strategist at advertising agencies for Burger King and Land Rover and as the marketing leader and analyst for Jack in the Box restaurants and Spiegel catalogs. Denise went on to head Sony Electronic Inc.’s first ever brand office, where she was the vice president/general manager of brand and strategy and garnered major corporate awards.

An influential writer, Denise enjoys challenging readers to think differently about brand-building. She contributes the monthly column Brand New Perspectives to QSR Magazine and has published work in numerous outlets, including Harvard Business Review, Advertising Age, and OPEN Forum. In 2008 she launched her blog, brand as business bites™, which the Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG) named as one of the top 20 marketing blogs. Denise also penned the book What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best from the Rest.

With her expertise and personal approach, Denise delivers an array of inspirational workshops, presentations and keynote addresses to business leaders in all industries. When she’s not writing or speaking, she serves as the brand director for TEDx San Diego and sits on the board of directors for a branch of the YMCA.

Outside of her professional roles, Denise counts hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, dancing with a professional ballet company, and flying a helicopter as some of her greatest life experiences.