The main purpose of a review is either to help the reader decide whether or not to invest time and money in the book in question, or to entertain them regardless. The danger of the former is that one woman’s dislike of Fifty Shades of Grey is another’s delight. And the risk of the latter is the reviewer’s ego blocking the info (I take the AA Gill amendment on this).
This is not the kind of business book I usually buy, with its ‘how tos’, ‘take-aways’, and ‘learnings’ (a ghastly word that should be banned). On the contrary, this work eschews the business book class and embraces the ‘chick lit’ genre, all touchy-feely with family history, personal crises and professional dramas.
To be fair, the authors do manage their reader’s expectations up-front: 'In the chapters that follow, large portions of text are direct quotations… which, we felt, would make for the most representative and most interesting approach. Most of our interviewees are well-publicised individuals (to varying degrees), and in most cases it is straightforward to find articles about them through a few minutes on Google. But we wanted to depict the true colour and texture of entrepreneurial success – in a way that could only be achieved by our actually meeting the-peoplewith-the-names. To shake their hands and look into their eyes, as it were. Here, then, is what we have found.'
Yes, Branded Gentry is a clever title for a book, but I found it a bit misleading. What I had expected was a book that analysed the pros and cons of eponymous brands with comparisons drawn against the new era of largely made-up ones. I had also hoped it would explore how the entrepreneurs behind these 13 familiar names – Dyson, Boden, Bridgewater and Richer to name four – had generated their hugely valuable intellectual property and established themselves successfully in our mental landscape.
Instead, the authors embark on that most difficult of genres – the celebrity-interview-cum-biography. The net result is a series of auto-biopics with not quite enough revelations and some odd omissions. Paxman it’s not. For my taste, there are too few general truths and guidance synthesised from these interviews that marketers will be able to apply.
So don’t invest in this book if you want major new insights into how to manage your brand. But do buy if you’re into inter-personal relationships and have an interest in these particular people and their life stories. Specifically, it’s a must-read if you have any intention of selling something to them – it’s quicker and much more enjoyable to learn about their back story here than piecemeal online.
In summary, Branded Gentry is a bit like a stately home, lacking in (intellectual) capital, and thus having to be more welcoming to the casual paying visitor.
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