I recommend this enlightening book on a number of counts. In an increasingly crowded (and sometimes superfluously smelly) elevator of social media and marketing how-tos, Rohit Bhargava sets himself apart: one of the most noticeable distinctions Personality Not Included has is its non-linear, self-referential structure, which makes it easy (and rewarding) to skip around if you're compelled. I didn't, but the option is there, which can't be said for less adventurous texts.

The book largely deals with personality (of course) and the looming ennui of "faceless" companies that don't connect with their customers, which benefits no one. It sounds obvious, but as staples like The Consumerist hammer home time and time again, even the glaring gets forgotten. I suspect this is due to "idealogical incest", the echo chamber of corporations copying each other on the WRONG things, compounding their screwups by being over-cautious and de-humanizing themselves!

Why did I pick this up?

I read PNI to do some professional development at my job as Resident Enlightenment Manager at Linden Lab, since just about everything I do in Second Life is avatar-centric, and hence, personality-driven.

In solidarity with Seth Godin's teachings, PNI makes a strong case for the benefits of storytelling to compel and intrigue your customers. What I learned within wasn't entirely new, but it did affirm, and reaffirm some independent ideas I had been cooking up for some time -- and now feel more confident about, knowing I'm far from alone here.

I especially found comfort in the overall presentation of PNI: from the colorful cover depicting a unique, rainbow-mohawked rooster who stands out from his peers to the fresh, well-spaced typesetting inside, these details all add to the overall readability and value. These are in themselves aspects of personality which a lot of people experience, yet have a difficult time articulating. Even if you can't put your finger on it, they make a positive difference in aggregate!

Other benefits include valuable numbered lists (e.g., types of company spokespersons) which are punchy, clear, and non-trite (an all-too-easy trap to fall into) and the practical exercises found in Part Two (intriguingly, Part One ends after Chapter 6 since Rohit reasons where this is where the "sweet spot" is). Also see his fresh approach to a non-bibliography, while still backing up his claims. It's rare to see such a self-aware "breaking the 4th wall" perspective in a serious-yet-fun business book, and I must mention the well-designed companion website, which may in itself serve as inspiration for future campaigns you'll do.

It's also nice to see Rohit practices what he preaches: I emailed him with kudos and a correction (he misspelled "Jaron Lanier" as "Jared Lanion"... what a spoonerism!), and he warmly contacted me back, encouraging me to review and spread the word -- here I am!

"The moment that organisations lose their personality is when their employees become "people" rather than individuals...".

As many of my readers and friends know. I'm very much in touch with the "human side of business", especially forming a connection with people. Revealing, the honest, sincere and human side of your business to your customers has repeatedly proved to be a good thing. It's the key to delighting them and making sure they stay with us for a very long time.

Rohit Bhargava as an author is right up there with the likes of Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki. Why? Because he tells it like it is. Jargon is left at the door and the book uses great worldwide examples of excellent personality branding. It's nice to see an American author who shows a refreshing awareness that we all don't live in America!

Wow. I must admit, Rohit actually had me at "hello" with this book. The book brings together, my own personal experiences of business differentiation. Learning, from companies such as Moo and Innocent Drinks (Also mentioned in the book). Rohit did an excellent job of drawing me in with his great writing style and a clear passion for the subject.

Throughout the book he provides many examples of businesses which are successfully using the techniques within the book. The case studies were almost enough to sell me the book alone. However, learning about each technique and then being given an interesting and detailed example of how each idea can be implemented in real life was fantastic. It was was great to see Steve, Hugh and the Blue Monster also getting a mention - Rock On!

Personality Not Included successfully leads the reader through the process of building a company personality. Rohit's approach impressed me in a number of ways. Firstly he outlined all the key elements. I especially liked his "UAT Filter"- the three core qualities of a company personality:

1. Unique
2. Authentic
3. Talkable

Spot on. Secondly, he presented great examples from several companies for each element.

As I finished reading Part 1, Rohit did something that many marketing writers do not usually do. He wrote a "Part 2?. The second part of the book focuses on how to put the discussion in Part 1 into action. To further guide the reader through the process, Rohit provides a number of tools and frameworks to help. The book is broken down into the following chapters:

Part One

Chapter 1 - Faceless used to work because big meant credible. This is no longer true

Chapter 2 - Accidental spokespeople are speaking for your brand - Embrace them

Chapter 3 - Uniqueness plus Authenticity plus Talkability equals personality. Use the UAT Filter

Chapter 4 - Backstories establish a foundation of credibility. You need onq.

Chapter 5 - Fear of change leads to barriers. Finding your authority overcomes them

Chapter 6 - Personality moments are everywhere and unexpected, but you must spot them

Part Two - (Putting Personality into Action)

* New Styles of Marketing (Ten Techniques are Described in Detail)
* Taking Theory Further (Tools and Guides to Accompany Chapters 1 - 6)

The key theme from the first half of the book is that personality matters, because it is the element of your brand that inspires loyalty more than any product feature or element of your service ever can.

Rohit reminds the reader, that consumers aren't just buying a product or service from you. They are buying "into" a whole experience. If they find the experience positive, they are very likely to purchase again, and/or recommend your business to others. As a text book, Personality not Included could also be used to boost your own "Personal Branding".

If you love Seth Godin, or Guy Kawasaki then you'll love Rohit Bhargava. If you are looking for a refreshing and up-to-the-minute business read, then you could do no better.

To conclude, Bhargava's marketing experiences with the world's leading companies has produced the definitive book that explains "Personality Branding", in a practical, understandable and actionable way. I can't recommend this book highly enough for any entrepreneur, business person, or anyone who wants to better understand how `personality' can impact a business.

This is an easy, but inspiring read. How to use your personality and the personality of your product and company to engage customers and build brand in the marketplace. As an unconscious competant (today a CEO and formerly a CMO)I found it incredibly helpful as a way to structure my thinking about this new marketing world. Rohit blends theory with examples in a way that makes the information easy to absorb and retain.

I don't have a long review to post. I do want to say that I hope to be able to help business owners. I currently do not work in the Marketing realm. However, I believe that talking with business owners and sharing good ideas doesn't have to be restricted to their marketing staff. I have been in marketing in the past and I believe that this book has value to the person that is inside the marketing world or outside the marketing world. Lets hope that your "Accidental Spokesperson" took time to read this book and helps your business. For that matter, you should buy this book and read it so you can bring authenticity back to your business.

Personality is defined as "the unique, authentic, and talkable soul of your brand that people can get passionate about. Personality is not just about what you stand for, but how you choose to communicate it. It is also the way to reconnect your customers, partners, employees, and influencers to the soul of your brand in the new social media era."

Have you ever thought about the fact that your business should have a personality? You might not have thought about creating or developing a personality for your business - but in the twenty first century, your business needs a personality. The time for faceless businesses is gone. We have all been told to develop a brand for our business. But, creating a personality that reflects and deepens that brand is taking the idea to a higher level.

Think about your favorite coffee shop or your favorite restaurant. What do you like about that business? Is it the service, the products, the atmosphere, the location, or something else? The personality includes things that set that business apart from other similar businesses.
This book contains six chapters in Part One. Part Two contains learning guides which expand on the content in Part One and other resources.

Throughout the book Rohit Bhargava provides ample examples of businesses which are using the techniques that he discusses. The case studies were almost enough to sell me on this book, but learning about each technique and then being given an interesting and detailed example of how each idea can be implemented in real life was invaluable. For example, we all know that Starbucks is very popular. In Personality Not Included we are given details on what they did right and how the personality slipped away.

Another fascinating section is chapter two when we learn about the many types of accidental spokesmen that can represent a business. In addition, he tells us how each type of spokesmen is effective and how to make the most of their enthusiasm and appeal. I love to highlight the valuable information in books and my copy has plenty of information marked for future use for me and my clients.

Backstory is critical when writing a novel, but have you ever thought about sharing the story behind your business? This chapter explains why you should have a backstory and how to use that backstory. The strangest thing happened as I read this chapter. I usually share my business and promotional background with people when I give my experience, but chapter four helped me begin to develop a new approach. What story do you have behind your business that would attract the public and help them to see you in a more favorable light?

In the opening chapter and introduction of the book I was patting myself on the back because I've used many of the ideas that are presented. Then Rohit Bhargava said something that really got my attention. He mentioned that just learning to create a personality isn't enough. You need to learn the best way to implement that personality plan in your business and learn to identify even more ways to find opportunities to develop this personality even further.

When you read the book, definitely take the time to read the learning guides in Part Two. There are many "guides" in the book which give you additional information on how to get the most out of the ideas and techniques in the book.

I highly recommend this book for any entrepreneur and business person who wants to understand the need for a business personality. Business managers can also learn so much from the content in this book. It is also for the person who wants to find the different ways to develop this personality. Your business can stand out from the competition in amazing ways - it just needs more personality. When you read the book, keep your eyes open for the interesting ways the author has woven a unique personality into the pages of the book.

I would love to share a beer with Rohit! The information in this book, I am sure, is just the tip of the knowledge he has inside of his head. Not only does it cover personalities of companies but the book itself has its own personality.

1. It has an incredibly easy layout which is SO SO important for business books.

2. It isn't a single concept that is reiterated differently over 250 pages ... unlike most other books in its class it has 250 pages of things to say.

3. It has been written through experience and trial/error not conjecture of what could work.

4. The companion website (and GREAT list of reference books available through his Amazon store) offers useful tools to help the readers.

While I do think it is a standout book in its category, a few things that would make it a more useful tool (as opposed to just a book) would include:

- Add a section that consolidates the 100+ examples so they are easy to pull out in the future.

- A perforated "reference card" that sums up all of the key points of PNI so people could stick up on their office wall, use it for meetings, etc. Think IDEO method cards in a single card that you can rip out of the book.

- Make the tests & tools in a template form that we can download from the website to use on a per project basis.



If I were given space for a comment on the back cover of this book it would be:

"Personalities... we all have them; our companies often don't. Rohit shows through experience what will give you the 'make it or break it' advantage simply by sharing your personality with customers. It is a new business world out there and PNI will help show who you really are."

This books declares something along the lines of "most business books reveal their big idea by the 5th chapter and then spend the next 10 chapters making the same point over-and-over." My collection of half read business books is proof of this statement.

When I finish reading a book (or at least the core parts), I write up a personal summary to review later (school habits die hard). For most books, my summary is usually a simple top 10 list.

My notes from this book are almost a dozen pages long.

This book does a beautiful job of delivering value across the "how they did it" to "how you can do it" spectrum. Rohit's writing style is perfect for "snacking"/quick-reference and for extended sittings.

These are the sections of the book I have already referenced during my own presentations/writings/recommendations for clients:
- Elements of personality
- How to be unique / how to be authentic / how to be talkable
- Four barriers to personality
- Personality moments
- Three methods of getting attention
- Today's buying cycle
- Ten individual marketing techniques (and examples of each)
- How to's, including: make your brand more likable, rethink your small print, empower your employees, and build authority

I highly recommend picking this book up. If you work in marketing, I am sure you will find yourself quoting/referencing parts of this book many times over the next few years!

(Disclaimer, I know the author Rohit and think he's a great guy)

I just read Rohit's book, Personality Not Included, and, boy, am I glad I did. He goes way past the basics as he sets up his argument that there is something missing in the traditional focus on the "4 Ps" of marketing (product, price, placement, and promotion). That missing"5th P" Rohit argues, is personality.

For me the book really came alive when I got to the chapter on using screenwriting techniques to figure out the backstory for your business. Stories are so important in communication, and Rohit gives step-by-step instructions on how to construct your organization's backstory. The personality of your organization comes through in that backstory. Expressions of that personality helps create a better bond between your business and the customer.

When you think of Ben and Jerry's, do you have an idea of the operation that stands behind the brand? I do. I have a story in my head, even though I've never been to their website to read their about page.

I picture two laid back hippies who love food. They met and decided to make delicious ice cream made out of yummy ingredients. These guys are so passionate about rich yummy ice cream that they managed to stand out in a crowded industry and change the way people think about ice cream. I picture their company full of happy people dressed in Birkenstock sandals. They are sitting in an old house in New England that has been converted to offices. There is an old bike rack out front with beat up 3-speeds parked there. Ben and Jerry are hanging out getting employees to taste their new fudge laden flavor.

Wow. I don't even know how this story got into my mind. I am sure that I filled in most of the details myself, Their actual story might be different. But it's no accident that I have such a rich story play itself out in my mind when I think of Ben and Jerry's. Somehow in the way that the brand interacts with me I come away with that story. Am I more likely to buy Ben and Jerry's ice cream than some equally delicious brand that does not have this kind of backstory? Yes. I have a feeling about the personality of the guys behind the product. And I like it. OK, Give me a minute while I go out and buy some Chubby Hubby. Take a second and stretch.

OK, I'm back.

PNI has gotten me thinking. What is the backstory of my business? How can I use that backstory to inform the way that I interact with current and potential clients? These are useful questions.

Rohit poses those questions and helps you answer them through a wealth of examples, guides, and tools. And he does the above with a good natured, direct style, which will delight you. Rohit practices what he preaches, packing the book with illustrations and subtitles that illuminate and entertain and give more than a hint of the personality behind the book.

I have been cautiously excited for this book to be released because I am someone who lives and breaths "personality marketing" every day I was hoping this wouldn't be for the casual marketer with simple ideas and nothing to back it up.

It only took one 50 pages in to realize that this was a special book and after reading it twice I am pleased to say this is now in my top three most influential reads and I have given it to every person on my marketing team and even gave a copy to a potential hire!

Saul Colt
Head of Magic
FreshBooks.com

Rohit Bhargava is the author of the leading "Influential Marketing Blog" (IMB) and is a founding member of the 360 Digital Influence team at Ogilvy. That means he is no "feather weight" in the world of marketing.

His first book "Personality not included" is a solid attempt to explain to marketers why many of the old corporate habits of dealing with their customers and the general public iare obsolete. Who came up with all the stupid policies anyway? If you are in marketing you might not find that book ground breaking because it just reiterates what you can read in the blogosphere pretty much every day. Rohit is not as radical as Seth Godin would be.

Actually Rohit is a very good showcase for his own book: He has a mind of his own and has no problems sharing his thoughts. At the same time he works for a large organization with over 10,000 employees. He is a watch and learn case for many guys who think that blogging and working a corporate job simply don't go together.

This is a book that everyone in business can read and get something out of. It is not too academic or plastered with acronyms that nobody but 50 people in the world would get.

So if the book is not ground breaking in my eyes, why should you read it?
1. Stories: Rohit has a lot of first hand experience to share and throws in many other stories to add to his theories. That is valuable information for any marketer.

2. This book will make you more conscious about your marketing. Many potential readers might apply some principles of the book in their daily work already (myself being one of them). Rohit makes a good effort of structuring and organizing what many of us "feel" is the right thing to do.

3. It might give you some more ammunition when you are arguing with other in your organization on what is the right thing to do: How open do you want to be to the public? How do you portray yourself? How do you deal with your mishaps? Sucking a little less than your competition would be nice, wouldn't it? :-)

4. Power to the people: The book makes a very strong case that the employees of a company are their strongest asset - if they are empowered and have a face and aren't just XYZ employees. Companies embracing this thought will advance and it will make our (corporate) world a nicer place to live in.

The book has only 6 chapters in part one. Rohit explains that almost all marketing books tend to be most interesting until chapter 6 and then become repetitive or boring. So he stopped right there. But then he continues with a nice hands on part that serves as a good reference point for making changes to your own organization (or the ones of your clients).

So even if you are super-smart and know much more than I do you can read the book, put a check mark on every page and know that the top guys at Ogilvy don't know more than you do. That should be worth the price of the book.

Note:
Rohit is a humble man: He only gave himself 4 stars for his own book. Many people will disagree and give him 5 stars and I know he will continue to be in high demand.

[...]

Rohit Bhargava is the author of the leading marketing blog "Influential Marketing Blog (IMB) and is a founding member of the 360 Digital Influence team at Ogilvy. That means he is no "feather weight" in the world of marketing.

His first book "Personality not included" is a solid attempt to explain to marketers why many of the old corporate habits of dealing with their customers and the general public iare obsolete. Who came up with all the stupid policies anyway? If you are in marketing you might not find that book ground breaking because it just reiterates what you can read in the blogosphere pretty much every day. Rohit is not as radical as Seth Godin would be.

Actually Rohit is a very good showcase for his own book: He has a mind of his own and has no problems sharing his thoughts. At the same time he works for a large organization with over 10,000 employees. He is a watch and learn case for many guys who think that blogging and working a corporate job simply don't go together.

This is a book that everyone in business can read and get something out of. It is not too academic or plastered with acronyms that nobody but 50 people in the world would get.

So if the book is not ground breaking in my eyes, why should you read it?
1. Stories: Rohit has a lot of first hand experience to share and throws in many other stories to add to his theories. That is valuable information for any marketer.

2.This book will make you more conscious about your marketing. Many potential readers might apply some principles of the book in their daily work already (myself being one of them). Rohit makes a good effort of structuring and organizing what many of us "feel" is the right thing to do.

3.It might give you some more ammunition when you are arguing with other in your organization on what is the right thing to do: How open do you want to be to the public? How do you portray yourself? How do you deal with your mishaps? Sucking a little less than your competition would be nice, wouldn't it? :-)

4.Power to the people: The book makes a very strong case that the employees of a company are their strongest asset - if they are empowered and have a face and aren't just XYZ employees. Companies embracing this thought will advance and it will make our (corporate) world a nicer place to live in.

The book has only 6 chapters in part one. Rohit explains that almost all marketing books tend to be most interesting until chapter 6 and then become repetitive or boring. So he stopped right there. But then he continues with a nice hands on part that serves as a good reference point for making changes to your own organization (or the ones of your clients).

So even if you are super-smart and know much more than I do you can read the book, put a check mark on every page and know that the top guys at Ogilvy don't know more than you do. That should be worth the price of the book.

Note:
Rohit is a humble man: He only gave himself 4 stars for his own book. Many people will disagree and give him 5 stars and I know he will continue to be in high demand.

The story of the book continues on his blog [...] There'll be some additional lessons to be learned on that site as well.

Remember when we were all trying to be more "professional" or "corporate." We were trying to standardize every message and template every communication. If the organization had a face, it was carefully scripted and perfectly coifed.

Well, that doesn't work anymore. (Or if it still does for you, it won't for long.)

In six short chapters, Rohit Bhargava shows how organizations with sparkling personalities have a major competitive advantage in today's attention economy. What does he mean by personality? According to Rohit, personality is "the unique, authentic and talkable soul of your brand that people can get passionate about."

This is not a book about social media. But it is about marketing in what Rohit calls the "social media era." Even if a high percentage of your customers have never used the Internet, their marketing preferences are influenced by the ubiquity of information that the Internet has created. People are on to us--they know when they're being sold--and the only thing to do is to adapt and be up front and transparent about it. Rohit shows examples of companies that adapted too slow and how they made up for it, as well as companies that were built from the ground up in the spirit of the new social media era. He also includes a "part two" with additional techniques, guides and tools you can use to help your company put the concepts into action.

For me, the book's brightest moment is chapter six. Rohit describes the power of personality moments. He shows us the folly of waging a blitzkrieg for people's attention when we're likely not making the most out of those moments when we already have their attention. It made me think of a hundred and one moments when membership organizations (the not-for-profit folks I work with) could energize their audience and reinforce that sense of belonging that is so critical to our success.

Why only four stars? Two reasons. First, by Rohit's own admission at a book signing I attended, this book was rapidly conceived, written and published. Speed was necessary in order for the book to be current. Still, I think it could have used a little more editing. Second, www.personalitynotincluded.com is still incomplete--not everything promised in the book is available yet.

That said, I do recommend this book. If your organization needs personality, this book will help you tease it out. If your organization already has personality, this book will help you understand it and use it to your best advantage.

Also, check out the Personality Project where you can hear directly from leaders at the companies featured in the book. [...]

Personality Not Included: Why Companies Lose Their Authenticity And How Great Brands Get it Back
Rohit gets it. I have heard him speak at several forums and I watched as he spread the word about this book implementing and practicing what he preaches. The book itself is a unique product ( cartoons from Hugh Mcleod, tags and place marks that let you go to the relevant worksheet), Its written in a very simple authentic way so you can read it like a book. ( I did on a 4 hour flight). Its talkable having some new things like a "Intermission". If you watch enough Bollywood movies you know you need an intermission.

Every small or large business wil find things in this book that will hit home. If they don't then pat yourself on the back that you are doing the right thing. In case you need to be walked through step by step the book also contains worksheets that you don't have to tell your boss about but they will make you look good.

As for me I bought 3 books for everyone above me in the reporting hierarchy and now I am expecting a promotion. Thank you Rohit for writing a great book. I hope it becomes a NY Times best seller

Should a business have a "face"? Should an enterprise exhibit human-like traits to set it apart from straight-laced, by the book and bureaucracy-deep "corporations"?

The answer to these two questions is unequivocally "yes", according to this excellent book.

I must confess he had me at hello on this one, because my bias was already pointed firmly in this direction, but nevertheless, Rohit did a great job of drawing me in with his no nonsense writing style, intelligent pacing and organization, and a clear passion for the subject.

Once drawn in, I was impressed by the way Rohit lead me through the process of properly "building" a company personality.

First he outlined all the key elements. I especially liked his "UAT Filter"- the three core qualities of a company personality: Unique, Authentic and Talkable

Spot on. And he presented great examples from several companies for each element.

Then Rohit did something that many book writers do not do - he wrote a "Part 2" that showed us how to actually put those elements into action, and gave us a bunch of tools to use to boot.

I'm all about the human side of a business. Actually showing that side to our customers is surely a good thing - it's the key to delighting them and making sure they stay with us for a long, long time.

Because people just aren't buying a product or service - they are buying "into" a positive experience. Rohit Bhargava, by virtue of his great experience as a marketing consultant, gets this "big time", and better still he's written a definitive book that explains it all in a practical, understandable and actionable way.

As you probably noticed, I'm the author of this book - so coming here and adding a review for my own book might seem like an odd thing to do. Not giving it five stars probably seems even odder, but let me explain. This book is all about why brands need to have a personality. It is about avoiding being faceless and finding a way to add more authenticity into marketing.

Reading a book description written by a publisher is a faceless way to describe a book. I wanted to give you more than that. For a more real inside look, you can see the "making of PNI" section on the official book website - at the full name of the book (Personality Not Included), followed by dot com. There you can see photos, illustrations, original manuscript copies and lots of other material that will give you an idea of what the book took to write - as well as download the full introduction to get a sense of what the book is about.

Of course, I'd love if you buy the book here. More importantly, you'll find all my contact information on that site because I really want to hear what you thought about it. And to answer the question about why only 4 stars ... it's because I think the book is pretty good, but whether or not it deserves the top rating is really up to you.