Many claim that the 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is the definitive text on branding, pairing anecdotes about some of the best brands with the signature savvy of marketing gurus Al and "media darling" Laura Ries.

Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by C K Prahlad Listen to the podcast now: Book Summary: Five years ago, C.K. Prahalad’s The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid showed companies how they could reignite profits and growth by serving the world’s five billion poorest people. Hundreds of firms have successfully taken that path–building large, profitable businesses that are reducing poverty and eliminating human misery at the same time. Now, Prahalad has updated his extraordinary book to reflect the lessons of the past five years: business-building strategies, techniques, and innovations proven to work in emerging markets. The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid: doing well by doing good or doing good by doing well! Our Cocktail Party Statements: Aaron:  Innovation & entrepreneurship Karin: Fighting poverty with profits Phil: Solution is not traditional aid but entrepreneurship Our Cocktail Party Index: What’s this? Explanation of the CPI. Share and Enjoy:

Blue Ocean Strategy by Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne Listen to the podcast now: Book Summary: Kim and Mauborgne’s blue ocean metaphor elegantly summarizes their vision of the kind of expanding, competitor-free markets that innovative companies can navigate. Unlike “red oceans,” which are well explored and crowded with competitors, “blue oceans” represent “untapped market space” and the “opportunity for highly profitable growth.”. They present the tools and frameworks they’ve developed specifically for the task of analyzing blue oceans. Our Cocktail Party Statements: Aaron: True strategy is not about engaging in a bloody competition but creating a new customer in uncharted territory Karin: Be different Phil: Avoid conflict at all costs Our Cocktail Party Index: What’s this? Explanation of the CPI. Share and Enjoy:

Empowered by Josh Bernoff Listen to the podcast now: Book Summary: Empowered – explains how to transform your company by unleashing the mighty force of these HEROes. Like John Bernier and Ben Hedrington at Best Buy, who built an army of 2,500 tweeting employees to reach out to customers online. Or Ross Inglis, who tapped into Internet computing resources to open an entirely new customer channel for Thomson Reuters. Or John Stadick, who equipped 600 sales staff with iPhones and boosted profits at his construction rental company. Key Points/Chapters: Our Cocktail Party Statements: Aaron: Karin: Unleash your employees to empower your fans Phil: Opinions, like assholes, everybody’s got one Our Cocktail Party Index: What’s this? Explanation of the CPI. Share and Enjoy:

Why We Buy by Paco Underhill Listen to the podcast now: Book Summary: Why We Buy – Revolutionary retail guru Paco Underhill provides a witty bestselling book on our ever-evolving consumer culture — full of fresh observations and important lessons from the cutting edge of retail, which is taking place in the world’s emerging markets. New! Watch the video of our show: Key Points/Chapters: Our Cocktail Party Statements: Aaron: Karin: Phil: Our Cocktail Party Index: What’s this? Explanation of the CPI. Share and Enjoy:

Freakonomics argues that many apparent mysteries of everyday life don't need to be so mysterious: they could be illuminated and made even more fascinating by asking the right questions and drawing connections.