In his book According to Kotler, Philip Kotler, a professor of international marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, employs a question-and-answer format to plow through clearly organized sections and subsections of information on marketing and brand positioning. Topics proceed from basic to specialized, from “What is marketing?” to stumpers like “What are the biggest marketing obstacles facing postcommunist countries?”

Together, Kotler’s answers fall somewhere between a compact course in marketing and a fruitful session with an insightful consultant. It’s a measure of his mastery that he can keep those answers short and to the point while packing them with information.

Consider his response to a question that mixes philosophy and commerce: Given the abundance of products, is the problem facing marketing that there are few remaining needs to be met? While there will always be unfulfilled needs, he says, relationship marketers should shift from being market driven (spurred by consumers’ needs) to being market driving (creating new markets). Years ago, who needed wall-size TVs?

Kotler’s explanation of what makes a great brand demonstrates his knack for pithy, organized answers. He identifies five dimensions of a strong brand, which translate to images, expectations and promises:

1. Recognizable attributes. A product’s features or styling stand out.
2. Key benefits. The brand connotes its differentiating factor, as Volvo connotes safety.
3. Personalizing characteristics. Users can visualize the product as if it were a person; for example, Apple brings to mind a friendly twenty something.
4. Company values. Brands of socially conscious companies suggest that priority.
5. Picture of the users. Great brands conjure images of their purchasers.

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