Retailer Web Services Digital Advisor Fall 2017 | Page 14

Jennie Gilbert, chief operating officer, RWS BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW Take Heart in ‘Brandscaping’ Looking for an inspiring business book to read? Independent retailers should take a book from the stacks piled high on the desk of Jennie Gilbert, RWS COO and resident bookworm. Here, she reviews “Brandscaping: Unleashing the Power of Partnerships,” the groundbreaking book by marketing visionary Andrew Davis. Published by the Content Marketing Institute, “Brandscaping” introduces a new marketing methodology that begins with one simple observation: a rising tide lifts all ships. M ost people now accept as fact that the Internet and mobile technology have fundamentally changed the consumer consideration journey. What was once a fairly linear process that was possible to model can now be totally unique and unpredictable for each individual consumer. But author Andrew Davis doesn’t just explain this shift in “Brandscaping.” He tackles it head on. In the book, he explains what you can actually do with your marketing strategy to participate more effectively in this new reality. akaDrewDavis.com BrandscapingBook.com 14 Along the way, he provides many colorful examples that keep you learning—and entertained, too. Every level of marketer can glean useful exercises from this book, including one of my favorites that is both simple and powerful: answering the question, “Who has your next customer as their current customer?” The book is well worth the read and Andrew himself is approachable and generous with his time. When I reached out to him without any introduction, he answered my questions and shared additional resources. Read his book. Connect with him on LinkedIn. And take heart in his hopeful and actionable advice.