"Brand real: The Startup Entrepreneurs' Guide to Effective Branding and Building Values-Based Organizations by Vasken Kalayjian is about how startup entrepreneurs can build real brands that can make an impact on the market. The book also guides the startup entrepreneur on how to build an effective organization. The first fifteen chapters specifically focus on different branding aspects. These chapters cover such things as what branding is and why it is important and how branding is related to organizational values. They cover the process of naming one's company and how the company name will affect the brand. They also cover the process of creating a strong brand.
Chapters sixteen to nineteen are about building an effective organization. Here, the book covers the attributes that make an organization effective with emphasis on openness to change, values and the team.
Chapters twenty to twenty-seven cover attributes that should be built into the entrepreneur and the team members. These attributes will attract financial backing and help business growth.
The index covers other practical aspects that an entrepreneur needs to be equipped with. Aspects such as how to make a business plan, manage social media and protecting intellectual property.
This book is quite useful as it covers various aspects that a startup entrepreneur needs to build knowledge on. The author is an expert on branding himself and owns a company that specializes in branding. He also went on to seek the advice of various experts on different topics which he included in his book. The book is well researched and has links and references to other works that the author consulted and found useful. I especially liked that the book has numerous diagrammatic illustrations. The author offers a lot of examples that the reader can relate to. He makes numerous examples to Apple, a brand that most people are familiar with, a brand that has earned respect internationally. I also found it interesting that you also need to be a brand as an employer and not only as a product or service provider.
I would rate this book, Brand real: The Startup Entrepreneurs' Guide to Effective Branding and Building Values-Based Organizations by Vasken Kalayjian, 4 out of 4 stars."
"I recommend this book for all entrepreneurs. They will enjoy learning practical tips about effective branding and marketing. I suggest that anyone genuinely interested in starting a values-based business should read this book. Long-standing businesses can also benefit from the ideas taught in this book. It is an excellent resource material that should be in institutional libraries. I found only one minor spacing error in this book so I think it was professionally edited. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it is a useful resource material. This is more than yet another book about branding and marketing, it is an entrepreneur's best friend."