Book Review: Brands, Trademarks and Good Will: The Story of the Quaker Oats Company

Book Review: Brands, Trademarks and Good Will: The Story of the Quaker Oats Company

BRANDS TRADEMARKS AND GOOD WILL

Author: Arthur F. Marquette
ISBN-13:  First Edition 

Topic:  Early American Brand Marketing

Format:  Hard Cover Book
Language:  English
Publication Year:  1967

REVIEW:

The story of the Quaker Oats company.  Easy to read recounting of how Quaker Oats came to be what it is. Marks one of the first attempts to explore and study brands and the good will associated with them. 

It is amazing how far we have come.  In 1875 a branded approach was rare except for Bon Ami or Bull Durham, now everything seems to be branded.  This book puts together how a vast network of independent mills and distributors were put together in an empire that achieved global dominance.  An excellent foundation of knowledge book if you are involved in marketing or branding.

CONTROVERSY:  The sometimes disturbing look into how brands like "Aunt Jemima" came into being.  The history is, St. Joseph Gazette editor Chris L. Rutt of St. Joseph, Missouri and his friend Charles G. Underwood bought a flour mill in 1888. Rutt and Underwood's Pearl Milling Company faced a glutted flour market, so they sold their excess flour as a ready-made pancake mix in white paper sacks with a trade name (which Arthur F. Marquette dubbed the "last ready-mix"). 

Photographs from the History of Quaker Oats

Rutt reportedly saw a minstrel show featuring the "Old Jemima" song in the fall of 1889 presented by blackface performers identified by Marquette as "Baker & Farrell". However, Doris Witt was unable to confirm Marquette's account. Witt suggests that Rutt might have witnessed a vaudeville performance byPete F. Baker, who played a character described in newspapers of that era as "Aunt Jemima". If this is correct, the original inspiration for the Aunt Jemima character was a white male in whiten face, who some have described as a German immigrant.

Marquette recounts that the actor playing Aunt Jemima wore an apron and kerchief, and Rutt appropriated this Aunt Jemima character to market the Pearl Milling Company pancake mix in late 1889 after viewing a minstrel show. However, Rutt and Underwood were unable to make the project work, so they sold their company to the R.T. Davis Milling Company in St. Joseph, Missouri in 1890.

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Book Review: UNBALANCED INFLUENCE

UNBALANCED INFLUENCE

Book Review: UNBALANCED INFLUENCE
Author: Pete Hammett
ISBN-13:  9780891062189
Topic:  Leadership
Format:  Hard Cover Book
Language:  English
Publication Year:  2007

REVIEW:

The book examines the practice and science of leadership.  There are case studies of C-Level executives that are struggling with ethics and effectiveness as they search for profitability.  How does effective executive leadership affect organizational success.

Unbalanced Influence explores how the personality preferences, interpersonal interactions, individual characteristics and leadership competencies of leaders shape the way they view creativity and innovation.  Examples of failure of initiative like in the response to Hurricane Katrina are used to illustrate some of Dr. Pete Hammett's points.

Drawing from research done at the Center for Creative Leadership's Leadership at the Peak Program, Hammett, who is associated with the center and was formerly an executive at American Express, describes characteristics of effective executive leadership and the paradoxes and myths that accompany them. He focuses on senior executives at the "C-level" (CEO, CFO, etc.) and data from the program that included their input as well as feedback on their performance from bosses, peers, and subordinates about decisions of leaders.

He discusses myths and paradoxes relating to power and influence, effective decision making, intuition and analytics, values and ethics, performance, creativity and innovation, developing future leaders, and work and life balance.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Pete Hammett is a dynamic speaker who offers real answers for today's tough business questions through leadership development, coaching and seminars.

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Book Review: SILOS, POLITICS AND TURF WARS

Book Review: SILOS, POLITICS AND TURF WARS

SILOS, POLITICS AND TURF WARS

Author: Patrick Lencioni
ISBN-13:  0787976385
Topic:  Management
Format:  Hardcover
Language:  English
Publication Year:  2006

For Business Books

REVIEW:

The book touches on what many of us experience but are unable or unwilling to confront.  I think about the offices I worked in and how hard it was for some departments to work together and how that had a negative impact on not only the customer experience and profitability but on the quality of life of the employees.

The way the information in the book's layout is easy to read and the concepts are quickly grasped in the fable then helpful advice style that is typical of Patrick Lencioni and his management series.  SILOS, POLITICS AND TURF WARS is a relief for managers at any levels.  If you ever felt lost, thwarted or betrayed by your own organization, and can't quite identify the cause of your anxiety. If the issue causing you trouble is not readily identified, then its probably the structure of the organization.

There is a little too much time devoted to identifying the problem of Silos rather than solving.  This could be due to the fact that sometimes the silo can be hidden by other issues.


OUR SPONSOR: BUSINESS BOOKS

Openness is the solution to turf warfare in a company.  In an open environment, people work together towards a common goal.  Information is shared without reservation.  With openness,  hidden agendas dissolve and collaboration takes hold.  Overarching goals take the focus instead of political infighting.  By asking questions about the organization's goals, metrics, and strategies, it can know what it needs to mature into a cohesive unit.  People need to know their role and how they fit into the plan and the organization.  Leadership must be vigilant and active as turfs and silos flourish without strong top down leadership and communication of direction and philosophy.

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