How to Speak American
Building Brands in the New Heartland
By: Paul Jankowski
Published: April 27, 2011
Format: Paperback, 192 pages
ISBN-10: 0615453910
ISBN-13: 978-0615453910
Publisher: ABS Publishing
"From what I've seen,most marketers don't understand the Heartland. At all.The have wasted time and resources, and the results delivered, no matter how strong, are only a fraction of what they could have been", writes brand strategist and owner of Nashville based Access Brand Strategies, Paul Jankowski, in his very insightful and eye opening book How to Speak American: Building Brands in the New Heartland. The author describes how the New Heartland of America presents tremendous challenges and opportunities for marketers and brands, and shares the essential concepts to understand to succeed in this vast market.
Paul Jankowski understands that the consumer of the New Heartland is ever evolving, and must have ongoing attention from brands or face irrelevance. Long seen by marketers and brands as simply a subset of the coasts, and mistakenly viewed as similar to coastal consumers, the New Heartland consumers features very unique characteristics. In an vast region comprising the Midwest, Southeast, and part of the Southwest, the New Heartland is diverse in many ways, but also shares strong ideals and culture that transcend demographics. In the New Heartland, people live their values as a way of life. Paul Jankowski respects the people of the region, and advises than any would be successful New Heartland marketers and brands offer the same level of respect.
Paul Jankowski (photo left) recognizes the importance of maintaining acute cultural awareness while marketing in the New Heartland. The culture of the region forms the background to the choices made by the residents, in terms of the products they buy, and the brands they choose to support. The author emphasizes the critical importance of reaching out to the residents, and of respecting their values. All too often, writes Paul Jankowski, coastal based agencies, marketers, and brands condescend to New Heartland residents, and even display outright contempt for the values and ideals of the region.
Paul Jankowski underlines the three most important core values that permeate the entire New Heartland. Those ideals are:
* Faith
* Community
* Family
With these crucial values understood, and how they mesh together and underpin other regional ideals, a marketer and brand can achieve success in the region.
For me, the power of the book is how Paul Jankowski combines an in depth cultural and sociological study of the New Heartland, with practical advice for marketers and brands to develop markets in this vibrant region. The author presents both a panoramic and an in depth analysis of the three core ideals of the region. The relationship between the values of faith, community, and family is examined, along with how those three ideals relate to how New Heartlanders choose the products and brands they support.
The author shares valuable advice on how to interact with, and develop trusting relationships with the people of this constantly evolving region. While the core values remain constant in many ways, they are open to change in other ways. A marketer must recognize the subtle transformation taking place with the people and the values of the region, as well as recognizing which core ideals remain constant. Paul Jankowski, a born and bred resident of the region, is an excellent guide to this fascinating and potentially profitable region.
I highly recommend the definitive and thought provoking book How to Speak American: Building Brands in the New Heartland by Paul Jankowski, to any marketers, branders, and agencies seeking a deeper and sympathetic guide to understanding the vast and important New Heartland consumer. The author treats the people of the region, and their core values, with respect and honors their dignity. Those element of dignity and respect are crucial for any marketer to achieve success in the New Heartland marketplace.
Read the valuable and stereotype destroying book How to Speak American: Building Brands in the New Heartland by Paul Jankowski, and discover the enormous opportunity presented by the consumer in the New Heartland. This book is your road map for navigating through that vast and important region of America.
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