About the Authors

Bill Chiaravalle knows brands and how to build them. His background includes 11 years with world-renowned brand strategy and design firm Landor Associates, where he served as Senior Designer, Design Director, and Creative Director, working on branding programs for the Audubon Society, American Express, AT&T, Bacardi, Bell Atlantic, California State Lottery, Danone, Delta Airlines, FedEx, Four Seasons Hotels, Gatorade, Hyatt Hotels, IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, NEC, P&G, Radio Shack, San Francisco Zoo, Smucker’s, Sunkist, Trinchero Winery, United Airlines, the University of California, and many others. Did we already say he knows brands?

He now serves as Principal and Creative Director of his own firm, Brand Navigation, where he assists clients large and small in telling and marketing their brand stories, products, and services. A partial list of Brand Navigation clients includes the Annenberg Foundation, Ghirardelli, Hartmann Luggage, Krusteaz, Microsoft, Linfield College, Park Hyatt, National Geographic, and World Vision.

Bill was born in San Francisco and received his training at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He has been honored with branding, design, and industry awards, including AIGA, American Advertising Federation, Dupont International Packaging Design Awards, Logo Lounge, Print Magazine, and the San Francisco Art Directors Club. Away from brands, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Leila, swimming, enjoying fine dining and jazz music, learning to speak Italian, and traveling the West to visit his four adult children. To reach his company online, go to www.brandnavigation.com.

Barbara Findlay Schenck is a business strategist who has spent her career helping individuals, companies, and organizations shape their businesses, brands, messages, and marketing plans. She’s worked internationally in community development, served as a college admissions director and writing instructor in Hawaii, and cofounded an advertising agency that ranked as one of the Northwest’s Top 15 at the time of its sale. Since then, she’s authored or co-authored Small Business Marketing Kit For Dummies, Business Plans Kit For Dummies, Selling Your Business For Dummies, and Branding For Dummies. She also writes marketing and branding articles for national and international businesses and media sites, speaks at conferences, and presents live, online, and taped marketing, branding, and business-planning workshops and programs.

When she’s not helping entrepreneurs plan, start, brand, market, or sell their businesses, she’s likely traveling, golfing, enjoying time with her husband, Peter, or trekking to the San Francisco area to visit their son, Matthew. Reach her through her website, www.bizstrong.com.

Authors’ Acknowledgments

Where to begin?

We start with heartfelt thanks to the long list of businesses and organizations that have entrusted their brands and business hopes to each of us over the years. This book, in great measure, shares solutions and advice learned through your success.

We also give special thanks to John Wiley & Sons, Inc., for allowing us this opportunity to explain branding in the famous format of the world’s most famous book brand. Acquisitions Editor Stacy Kennedy, Senior Project Editor Alissa Schwipps, Copy Editor Caitie Copple, and Technical Editor Jonlee Andrews made the making of this book a pleasure.

Additionally, we each offer personal acknowledgements.

From Bill: In addition to developing brands for over 20 years, I’ve been involved in the design of more than a thousand book covers in my lifetime. But I’d never considered writing one — until Barbara Schenck approached me. Thank you, Barbara and Peter; you have been kind advocates for almost a decade. Thanks also to my longstanding teammates and friends at Brand Navigation: DeAnna, Mark, and Mike. Without you, designing brands wouldn’t be as possible, or as much fun.

Special thanks to my children, Heidi, Wil, Michael, and Laura, who love me regardless of my obsession with brands.

And, most of all, to my beautiful wife, who is not only my business partner but my friend and the love of my life. You complete me.

From Barbara: Deep thanks to Bill for agreeing to coauthor this book and for adding so significantly to its value. This book confirms why people say yours is the smartest voice in any branding conversation.

Immeasurable gratitude, also, to those who make all the joys and successes in my life possible: My husband, Peter, and our son, Matthew.

Above all, we both extend deep thanks to every reader who selects this book as a brand-building guide. As you enter or travel farther into the world of branding, you carry all our best wishes with you.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

Acquisitions Editor: Stacy Kennedy

Senior Project Editor: Alissa Schwipps

Copy Editor: Caitie Copple

Technical Editor: Jonlee Andrews

Project Coordinator: Erin Zeltner

Cover Image: ©iStock.com/somchaij