Critical Praise for
David F. D’Alessandro
“With its engaging voice and pull-no-punches tone,
Brand Warfare book stands out from the marketing
crowd.”
—Harvard Business Review
“In this short, concise work, D’Alessandro, CEO of
the John Hancock insurance group, entertainingly
hammers home the importance of creating and
maintaining a brand. In his view, a brand is what-
ever image a customer conjures up upon hearing a
company’s name, so everything from the firm’s
labor practices to its product and advertising must
be taken into account. To make his points,
D’Alessandro draws heavily on his former career in
advertising and public relations. On having Orville
Redenbacher as a client: ‘We literally thought he was
insane.’ But in the end, he says, ‘Orville taught
me…the power of a good brand to trump all rhyme
or reason in the marketplace.’ … He succeeds at
reminding everyone from the CEO to the people on
the assembly line that their company’s brand is its
most crucial asset. Practical, psychologically astute
and clearly written, this book has much to offer
businessfolk of all stripes.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Ready to hit the trenches to defend your brand?
David F. D’Alessandro, CEO of John Hancock
Financial Services, arms readers with a battle plan
in Brand Warfare. Drawing on years of experience,
D’Alessandro offers 10 tips for nurturing a good
brand—that is, one that ‘offers comfort, trust, con-
venience, and identity.’ Some basic concepts, includ-
ing how to manage scandal, will already be familiar
to marketing professionals. But D’Alessandro
amuses and instructs with his bluntness. For
instance, he says that ‘survival in the advertising
game demands that the agencies learn how to flat-
ter and milk their clients.’ Of greatest value to the
brand warrior are his discussions of the successes
and failures of such well-known outfits as Amazon,
Coca-Cola, Nike, and his own John Hancock. And
he says branding should aim not only at consumers
but also at a company’s employees. After all, ‘the
best people want to work for the