Books that changed my life 3: Eating the Big Fish

Third up in this series is Eating the Big Fish, by Adam Morgan.

I still think ETBF is the daddy of all branding books, and the one I measure my writing against. The eight "credos" for being a challenger remain potent 8 years on, and his writing is practically poetic (and gives me an inferiority complex every time I read it):
1. Break with your immediate past
2. Build a lighthouse identity
3. Assume thought leadership of the category
4. Create symbols or re-evaluation
5. Sacrifice
6. Over-commit
7. Use advertising as a high-leverage asset
8. Be ideas-centred, not consumer-centred

Yes, baby. The credos work for challengers, but pretty powerful for any brand.

Adam’s work inspired me in creating the "brandgym workouts", and the workshop-based journey we take clients on. We share a lot of the same beliefs about branding, though I think people who have worked with both of us would say our style/tone is very different.

There’s one other way ETBF changed my life, for which I will be eternally grateful. Adam had lunch with me on that fateful day of September 11, 2001. I mentioned my dream of writing a book and he was kind enough to introduce me to his editor at John Wiley. It was this lead that opened the doors for me, and 5 1/2 years on we’re on the 5th book in the series.

Thanks again Adam 😉