The Customer Rules, Closing the Innovation Gap, and Ikonica (MBE:BE)

Three titles for today’s release (total of 11 books) for the MiniBookExpo: Business Edition.  Not sure what that is?  Get the deets.

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The Customer Rules: The 14 Indispensable, Irrefutable, and Indisputable Qualities of the Greatest Service Companies in the World by C.Britt Beemer & Robert L. Shook

Courtesy of McGraw Hill

Market-research guru C. Britt Beemer and bestselling author Robert L. Shook, combine case studies of the world’s leading customer service companies with data from proprietary market research to show you how to win strong customer loyalty and build life-long relationships.

With The Customer Rules, you will be privy to never-before-published consumer research that identifies what consumers are thinking that you need to know. Yes, your gut instinct may be right on target–sometimes–but often your intuition just won’t cut it. The book’s solid research removes the guesswork from establishing customer loyalty.
Beemer and Shook show you how to emulate the best-in-class companies such as Four Seasons, Chubb, Lexus, NetJets and Edward Jones. They explain how to cater to your customer’s needs, win market share, and generate a healthy bottom line.

Full description and author bio at MiniBookExpo.

• 3 copies available This book is CLAIMED
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (August 27, 2008)
• Shipping within Canada & US sponsored by McGraw Hill

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Closing the Innovation Gap: Reigniting the Spark of Creativity in a Global Economy by Judy Estrin

Courtesy of McGraw Hill

Does innovation come about by luck or hard work? Is it a flash of inspiration or the result of careful management? Are innovators born or taught?

In Closing the Innovation Gap, Judith Estrin provides the answers to these and other questions critical to our future. A technology pioneer and business leader, Estrin describes what will be required to reignite the spark of innovation in business, education, and government–ensuring our long-term success in the global economy.
Innovation does not occur in a vacuum. It grows from the interplay of three drivers of creative change–research, development, and application. Estrin calls this dynamic the “Innovation Ecosystem,” explaining how these communities work together to create sustainable innovation.
Leaders in business and public service “must think beyond short-term financial results and understand the impact of globalization and an accelerated pace of change on future economic growth,” says Estrin.

With Closing the Innovation Gap as your guide, business leaders will gain key insights into identifying their needs, asking the right questions, testing new ideas, and successfully leading their organization to the frontiers of twenty-first-century innovation.

Full description and author bio at MiniBookExpo.

• 3 copies available This book is CLAIMED
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (September 7, 2008)
• Shipping within Canada & US sponsored by McGraw Hill

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Ikonica: A Field Guide to Canada’s Brandscape by Jeanette Hanna and Alan Middleton

Courtesy of Douglas McIntyre

Ikonica is the first exploration of Canada’s rich and unique brand heritage. Authors Jeannette Hanna and Alan Middleton shed light on the evolution of our country’s best-known brands, from the Hudson’s Bay Company to Blackberry. This visually stunning tour of Canada’s branding environment highlights the prime movers, the triumphs and the failures.

Both Hanna and Middleton draw on years of experience as brand strategists to offer an inside look at the major players in Canadian branding, from global success stories like the Four Seasons Hotels to domestic upstarts like WestJet. The heart of the book is more than thirty interviews with a “who’s who” of major business and cultural figures including Paul House (Tim Hortons), Robert Milton (Air Canada), Fred Schaeffer (McCain) and William Thorsell (Royal Ontario Museum). The authors’ provocative analysis shows what it takes for Canadian brands to punch above their weight in the global marketplace.

Full description and author bio at MiniBookExpo.

• 5 copies available This book is CLAIMED
• Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre (September 1, 2008)
• Shipping within Canada & US sponsored by Douglas McIntyre