This is my book list for mid level account planners and senior level account planners. By this point in your career you know the fundamentals of the craft and now must start to define the type of planner you want to grow into.
The book How to Plan Advertising talks about three different types of planners: Grand Brand Strategist, Storyteller or Ad Tweaker. I'll describe these books into these different segments and add the Social Strategist segment.
GRAND BRAND STRATEGIST:
1) The Brand Bubble by John Gerzema: I really like the way they break down the true metrics of a brand and what really moves the needle.
2) Marketing to Women by Marti Barletta: At some point during your career you will need to target the Family Shopper. When you do turn to Marti who does an incredible job explaining how women are different from male consumers.
3) The Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam: Brand strategies require diagrams to explain all the briallance that is coming out. This book gives you the confidence to do just that.
4) The Ultimate Question by Reichheld: Include the Net Promoter Score question in your brand trackers.
THE STORYTELLER:
1) The Hero and the Outlaw by Carol Pearson: Andy Iverson, one of my planning directors told me that I was a Storyteller planner true and through. This book drove many of my strategies.
2) Fascinate by Sally Hogshead: Sally is one of my favorite presenters and this book lays out 7 triggers that fascinate people. These triggers help drive comms tasks that I use when talking about the narrative of a campaign.
THE AD TWEAKER:
1) Hegarty on Advertising: If you ever wanted to know why BBH has had the standards that they have had, the clients that they have had and the history of success they have had... this book does a great job of trying to explain that magic.
2) The Houdini Solution by Ernie Schenck: When I started at BBH, Kevin Roddy the CCO back then told me that creatives at BBH do their best work with small boxes. Earnie agrees and talks about thinking INSIDE the box.
3) A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young: This is a classic, only 62 pages but it is the basis of everything we do.
THE SOCIAL STRATEGIST:
1) The Art of Community by Jono Bacon: If you are a community manager or manage community managers you should read this book.
2) Buzzmarketing by Mark Hughes: He was the first person to name a town after his brand. Social Strategists are asked to contribute in idea sessions, this book helps them do that.
3) Citizen Marketers by Ben MeConnell: One of the key books on advocacy. They have a really great Target case study on page 128.
4) Open Leadership by Charlene Li: She helps social strategists get their clients comfortable with social media and transform brand management to open brand management.
