No Logo – Naomi Klein (Book Highlights)

 “What these companies produced primarily were not things, they said, but images of
their brands” - Page 4 (real work lay not in manufacturing but in marketing).

 Define Branding. The confusion between advertising and branding. During the
second half of the nineteenth century, advertising was the main focus due to
recently invented products (radio, phonograph, cars…), they had to inform people
about these innovations and how they will change their lives for the better.

 Advertising is a part of branding but branding is much more than just buying a
billboard of a commercial on television.

 Corporations may manufacture products but what customers buy are brands. 1988
Philip Morris bought Kraft for 12.6 billion $, then it was called Philip Morris
Companies as it didn’t have a substantial name as it does now (Altria Group).

 Saturn launched by GM in October 1990, car

 Companies like Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds, weren’t affected by this brand crisis, as they
were already ahead of the game and understood that they were selling brands and
not products. In fact, they were all more powerful than ever, observing strategical
tactics to move into a more global market [Page 17].

 The interesting lack of usage of advertising for both ‘The Body Shop’ and ‘Starbucks’
are remarkable. The cosmetic monster was a big thing in Britain in the seventies,
they only started taking it to the next level in 1988 where they were literally in every
corner in the U.S. It opened nearly 40-50 stores in America over the year. The factor
that stands the most is that they succeed at doing so with investing a dime in
advertising. The brand was all it need to make it what is it today [Page 20].

 Brands as experiences, as lifestyle (not as commodities).

 In 1997 during the holidays season, Londoners began to note the importance and
impact of branding. The Regent Street Association didn’t have enough money to
replace the diming Christmas Lights. Yves Saint Laurent stepped in and decided to
generously ‘split the cost of new decorations’ while of course, in exchange, their logo
would be visible and light up with the lights. [Page 35]

 Michael Jordan, known as the most number one in the ranking list of branded
celebrities. He can be described as the “super-brand”. But make no mistake, his
credit of high stature would never have happened without the brand that branded
him: Nike. [Page50].

 Nike has taken branding to the next level in the ninties becoming themselves a
superbrand. They develop uique methods thay target pro sports such as star athlets
 and Olympics athelets to make the difference and make them the image of “sport
itself”.

 Phil Knight, the CEO of Nike, has an interesting perspective of the story of the
company. During the sixties, Nike sold running shoes to the public, but they didn’t hit
the market thoroughly as of yet. Reebok had its claim to the market and everyone
was ignoring the Nike brand. Thus, the CEO, instead of giving up had to reinvent the
concept of the company to one that made Nike “the world’s best sports and fitness
company”.

 Going back to Michael’s story, due to his extreme talent in the basketball field, Nike
targeted him in order to rebrand themselves, but Nike also made Jordan an
international superstar because of their commercials. Let’s go back a bit in history.
There were champion atheletes, in the pre-Nike era, that were just atheletes, of
course talent as they may be, they didn’t get that recognition that a Nike superstar
gets now. Muhammad Ali, a great boxer, was indeed in the pre-Nike era, but doesn’t
get close to Michael Jordan level of recognition and sport relation.

 EasyBib & Cite4me (For References)