No Logo: 10th Anniversary Edition with a New Introduction by the Author

Good

Even if the brand names themselves are dated, the concept she outlined is truer and more urgent today than it’s ever been. The material world of society has been hollowed out in favor of ideas and symbols all in the name of consumerism. Regrettably, the Internet, “culture jammers” and artists didn’t quite become the sliver of hope she offers, and the reality today is even bleaker than she predicted. She was even more right than she hoped.

I work in online marketing, which means that my work is often much more mechanical than the kind Klein describes in her book, but the insights that form the basis of all marketing (promotion) are similar. Despite the distance between my experience and the focus of much of "No Logo," I found it to be a brilliant and profound look at the end results of various marketing efforts. One that gives you a fascinating view of all sides of the equation - not just the impetus behind the marketing itself, but also the impetus behind the companies, products and brands, the production and supply chain and, finally, the adoption by consumers and a view of how these same consumers come to, as Klein says, inhabit the brand. In a country where it can be, but for the skyline and the geography, increasingly difficult to tell the difference between major cities like Memphis, Dallas and Atlanta, discussing exactly why the lives of so many Americans (and those of other developed countries' citizens) have become increasingly homogenous is something that might behoove us all. Personally, I've always felt that the best consumer marketing seems obvious to consumers once it has been undertaken. Reading about how consumers, particularly the youth demographic, then go on to adopt the marketing as something of a lifestyle, even when ironically, was fascinating. Sure, we see it every day, but to read about it in a more academic, yet narrative fashion gives a fresh look at something we deal with from the inside. Klein takes concepts of the modern world of marketing that have been discussed in various publications and, no doubt, countless classrooms and weaves them into a brilliant narrative about where our marketing came from, where it is now and where it's going in the future. I think the great value here is the dual purpose the work offers to both marketers and consumers - for the former, a view of how their work affects society beyond the boundaries of ROI and, for the latter, a fascinating view of exactly how they are manipulated to spend their money on things they often don't need. While consumer marketing isn't new, the scope of its effect on politics, economics, sociology and individual psychology is definitely one of the more pronounced hallmarks of the current era. Everyone thinks that they're immune to marketing, we marketers included, but we are all trapped to one degree or another in a kind of snow globe that has both positive and negative aspects for all of us individually and collectively. Reading works like "No Logo" would no doubt be a great eye opener for John Q. Public. For marketers it may not be new material, particularly now in 2006, but I found it to be a fascinating breath of fresh air and a great reminder of just how many areas marketing touches and in how many ways marketing itself is a symbiotic force in society. On a completely personal note, I have also spent time outside of and lived outside of the marketing bubble in very foreign, developing cultures where the majority of the marketing is indecipherable and, therefore, lost on me. With this perspective in mind, it can be quite a shock to return home to see the saturation of our culture with marketing messages and the level to which we are buried in marketed, particularly branded goods. Klein discusses this to some degree, but when you have tangible experience with the lives of the developing world citizens who make the trinkets we snatch up due to this marketing and your roots are in the culture that's doing the snapping up, it can't help but make you question - a feeling Klein seems to also want to convey - the morality of the level of consumer saturation that we in the developed world seem to revel in. Some would say this kind of thought comes from a particular political ethos, but I've seen the same kind of dialogue put forth by everyone from counterculture liberals to fundamentalist conservatives. Who we are and why we are who we are is a question for everyone, I think, and there's no doubt that marketing is playing an ever-increasing role in defining our societies and our cultures. If this is an issue that you're at all interested in then the attention given to it from a marketing perspective in this book will be of value to you.

Unlike some of the people who rated this book with 1 or 2 stars (and obviously hated it), I've actually read it, and I'm rating it 5 out of 5. I've read claims on this website that the book was "poorly researched," or "lacking in logic." Ms. Klein "doesn't understand arithmetic." And other unsupportable statements. The book is EXTREMELY well researched, which is documented in the endnotes. Klein's conclusions DO follow from her analysis, and in many cases the conclusions she cites are from other sources (equally well researched, analyzed, and usually accredited). The claim that this is not so comes across as a deliberate lie. And it may BE a deliberate lie. Lying on websites (in the product review section) is a standard "marketing" technique. I think this book, along with the textbook for my graduate marketing class, are important for understanding the mindset behind much of late capitalism. (BTW - I'm not a 25 yr old graduate student -- I'm a 51 yr old professor with two advanced degrees and a lot of real world experience.) We are all being managed, marketed, exploited, and will ultimately be abandoned by a ruthless ruling class that doesn't give a damn about us. Their methods are very advanced, and frighteningly effective (informed by 100 years of quantitative social science), and it is essential that the rest of us understand what's being done if we ever hope to undo it. Read this book, listen to Alternative Radio and DemocracyNow!, and fight the ruling class.

That book finally explain me , WHY in school kids forced to take all breakfast items regardless want they or not - and throw them away unused.... and why they not allowed take anything with them, even if its closed pack of juice... (Usually you think you buy it - you own it and can do anything and consume, if its food or drink, anytime - but not in school cafeteria). Because kids are little customers, and training for "how to waste products" very important to make them good customers for life. Its all paid by food delivery company... Lol.

this is more than just a "worthy" book, it's also a good read. The new introduction extends the thesis to politics, and to Barack Obama's campaign specifically. This is the kind of thing we should occasionally read to keep in touch with our world - and it's more than a should, I want to re-emphasize. The research is impeccable, but doesn't intrude itself into your reading. By which I mean, it doesn't feel as though you are reading a text book. It is thought provoking, a little bit shocking - okay, more than a little bit - and you will be very glad that you read it.

A great informative read

Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass ein Buch so aktuell bleiben kann. Auch nach 10 Jahren ist dieses Buch ein spannendes und sehr gut zu lesendes Manifest des Markenwahns, und was dieser uns angetan hat. Das Buch und seine Thesen mögen polarisierend sein, aber für mich geht es um grundlegende Wahrheiten. Die Geschichte gibt Noami Klein recht! Dies wird auch für ihre neuen Bücher gelten!

A shocking and lively book designed to stir both thought and emotion in the Western reader. It details all that is wrong with globalisation and corporate power, brings to life the tireless yet often unseen operations fighting back, and mercilessly sets out the dreadful treatment of workers being exploited by many of our most well-known brands. In terms of these corporations and global companies, Klein unapologetically explores the very darkest depths of their capitalist mentality. She names and shames several huge brands, including Nike, Nestle, Disney, Microsoft, Wal-mart, McDonalds and Gap, and frequently refers back to these examples to illustrate her points in a recognisable context. Another of her tactics, well-used to provoke reaction throughout the book, is to provide the reader with detailed case studies, and accompanying analysis, of some of the more heinous scandals linked to various companies over the years. From strikes by humiliated teenage workers at McDonalds to compulsory pregnancy testing and the sacking of pregnant workers in poor factories, this is really explicit and shocking material. One example that will never leave my mind is that of the death of many young female workers, mostly teenagers, in a poor foreign garment sweatshop. The girls were locked into the factory all day, with no comforts and no safety measures in place. When a bundle of flammable material caught fire, the whole factory went up. The workers had no escape route and died, some in the fire itself and some, tragically, by throwing themselves from the windows to avoid being slowly burned alive. Alongside these horrors, Klein explores the anti-globalisation politics in the world, as well as the pitiful, hypocritical means used by the brands to try and claw back their popular image. She visits worker unions and help centres trying to liberate sweatshop workers. She looks at boycotts and consumer power in changing the way brands conduct business. Movements such as `Reclaim the Streets' - a disruptive street-blocking festival scene - and `Culture Jamming' - the art of reworking and altering adverts on the streets in order to change their political meaning drastically - are also described in detail. Whilst it is terribly frustrating to read about the evasive tactics used by companies - moving factories, issuing `ethical' ad campaigns and avoiding monitoring - the final message is one of hope, empowerment and a need for education. A brilliant and eye-opening book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone who is feeling disillusioned with all-dominating brands and capitalist values in today's turbulent and morally questionable society.

Quello che molti considerano come il manifesto delle proteste "no global" dei primmi anni 2000, è una lettura molto interessante su come i brand siano cambiati, dislocando la produzione e concentrandosi sul marketing del "marchio". Un saggio lungo, ma da leggere almeno una volta per comprendere meglio il mondo in cui viviamo ed il modo in cui la globalizzazione ha impattato negativamente sulle vite di tutti noi.

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