The Better Mousetrap: Brand Invention in a Media Democracy

* Section - ONE: In search of brand charisma; ** Chapter - 01: Introduction; ** Chapter - 02: Brands: thorny, gnarly, ever-so-twisty; ** Chapter - 03: The brand organic; ** Chapter - 04: Brands must behave, must woo; ** Chapter - 05: 'Same difference': the counterpoint brand; ** Chapter - 06: Reframing: originality and busting it up; ** Chapter - 07: Brand duality: consider your brand's Batman; ** Chapter - 08: 'Lose the nipples': what's in a logo?; ** Chapter - 09: 'Back in the day': nostalgia brands and the retro sell; ** Chapter - 10: 'Yours digitally': brand charisma's second coming; ** Chapter - 11: Sub-brand splendour; ** Chapter - 12: Drop the 'The': what's in a name?; ** Chapter - 13: Gross assumptions, crumby conventions and the Churchillian view; ** Chapter - 14: You are your own mousetrap; * Section - TWO: In pursuit of the accelerated consumer; ** Chapter - 15: Introduction; ** Chapter - 16: We are ALL consumers; ** Chapter - 17: In strangers we trust; ** Chapter - 18: The age of the accelerated consumer; ** Chapter - 19: The brand communication model: a bit like a time-travelling DeLorean; ** Chapter - 20: Allow me to proposition you; ** Chapter - 21: Through a glass clearly; ** Chapter - 22: Colour me happy!; ** Chapter - 23: Curve, contour and come-on: how persuasive is sexual persuasion?; ** Chapter - 24: Truth, lies and advertising; ** Chapter - 25: Irrational reasoning, magpie desire and the watch from outer space; ** Chapter - 26: 'With great power...': advertising to our inner superhero; ** Chapter - 27: The big H; ** Chapter - 28: Buying wine, getting her to drink it and other Adland misdemeanours; * Section - THREE: Dawn of a media democracy; ** Chapter - 29: Introduction; ** Chapter - 30: 'Digital': what it is, what it isn't; ** Chapter - 31: Web 3.0: regime change; ** Chapter - 32: Transmedia... in a Tube card; ** Chapter - 33: Is social media just a bit antisocial?; ** Chapter - 34: A pop culture where

Simon Pont is a British writer, commentator and brand-builder. He is the Chief Strategy Officer at Starcom MediaVest Group, and an EACA Effies judge. His agency career includes being part of Saatchi & Saatchi and Naked Communications, the pioneers of Communications Planning. Hollywood movie studios, Icelandic investment banks, British chocolate bars and Middle Eastern airlines figure among his time on the inside of Adland. He is also the author of Digital State: How the Internet is Changing Everything, (Kogan Page, 2013).

"Gloriously smart. Some of the sharpest thinking I've read for a while; immensely enjoyable" Faris Yakob, Chief Innovation Officer, MDC Partners "From brands past to present, and with a firm eye on their digital future, Pont takes readers behind the curtain of brand-land. Today's Mad Men will either toast him or hate him for it." -- Ashley Mackenzie, Founder & CEO, Base 79 "Simon can grab complex ideas by the scruff of the neck and shake them until they explain themselves simply" John Paul Cadman, Group Strategy Director, MEC "Pont tackles media and advertising themes with pace and passion. The ideas come fast; the thoughts are vivid and accessible. The Better Mousetrap might just do for brands what Gladwell did for Social Sciences and Levitt did for Economics." -- Vicki Connerty, Head of Newcast, ZenithOptimedia "The Better Mousetrap is a scalpel-sharp examination of our relationship towards brands, why we love them, hate them, or possibly feeling nothing at all." -- Chris Maples, UK Managing Director & European Sales Director, Spotify "The Better Mousetrap does what the best non-fiction is capable of - providing insight into the world around us, and by extension, the feelings inside us. The articulation is impressive." -- Craig Wills, Head of Planning, Fallon "Simon has achieved the near impossible, opening up the Ad world's evolving complexity, taking aim at this fast moving target and hitting dead centre, with smart, perceptive and holistic observation and comment. A must read!" -- Steve Hyde, CEO, 360 Executive Search "The Better Mousetrap is an astute and gripping critique on brand and cultural anthropology. Page by page your inner voice will be saying "fascinating", and by the end you'll be reminded of why you chose the brand-business in the first place. A truly compelling read." -- Christian Johnsen, Communication Strategy Director, Aegis Media "With the cunning more akin to a wild cat than a mousetrap, Simon takes on crowd sourcing, sandwich bars