The 10 best marketing books of all time. Chosen by the pros

When it comes to learning how to think like a marketer, books are the way to go. From tactics to strategies, the best marketing books have lessons for many different people. Whether you are an experienced marketer or just getting started, there are many excellent options to start with.

In this article we will look at a selection of the 10 best marketing books of all time chosen by seniors from the Deep Marketing agency. Experienced former managers.

Our list has a unique feature: it intends to range over different topics and approaches, not limiting itself, as is often the case to the "usual knowns" and obvious names. Not least because, often, their lectures do not pass the filter of scientific evidence.

What follows, then, are titles that aim to be both reliable and wide-ranging in their teachings. They do not just write what "sounds good," and they do not repeat stereotypes and clichés. They provide readers with sacred lessons on discipline and consistent with the mental toolboxes of professionals.

What makes an excellent marketing book?

When choosing the best books for both a technical and strategic discipline such as marketing, there are always a couple of additional aspects to consider.

First, the volume must be insightful and comprehensive, as well as well documented and chock-full of tangible examples and techniques. Second, it must always be thought-provoking and easy to interpret.

These are not particularly popular features among the books you can find on Amazon or in your local bookstore. Both because there is an overuse of opinion, hot air and theory not yet to reality or unfalsifiable in this subject. Both because they are often simply boring and the same concept isrepeated a million times. Often in multiple books. Yes, we are talking about Seth Godin.

If you agree, go ahead.

So here is a list of the 10 best marketing books of all time according to the Deep Marketing team. These texts are sure to provide you with the knowledge and insights you need to take your marketing efforts to the next level.

1 / Building a storybrand

"Building a Storybrand" by Donald Miller is one of the best volumes on marketing and sales. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to create a minimally effective strategy. In this book, Miller explores the concept of "storybranding," focusing on creating a brand story that resonates with customers' emotions.

By understanding people's existential journey, it is indeed possible to create a narrative that helps to better connect with and engage the audience.

Narratives have the power to captivate and motivate, helping to create a lasting bond between the storyteller and his or her audience. As a result, storytelling has become an integral part of life, whether for companies, individuals or entire communities. It has the potential to propel people to action, encourage engagement and have a lasting impact on the world. So why not use this powerful tool to create meaningful experiences? This book points a simple and clear path in the right direction.

What is online storytelling? Learn more about it here.

2 / The moment of the click!

If you are looking for a book that explores the power of digital marketing, "The Click Moment" is an excellent choice. Written by Frans Johansson, this text explains how to use data to create marketing campaigns that produce results by leveraging "key" moments that may or may not happen by accident in the history of companies.

Click Moment is based on two simple and inspiring concepts. The first is that success is capricious, much more unpredictable than most people think. The second is that we, both as individuals and as organizations, can take specific steps to harness this unpredictability and direct it to our advantage.

When it comes to successful brands, it often happens that something happens in the context that shifts the whole scenario-whether it is the consensus of a major customer, a market-changing competitor, or a seemingly random thought taking shape-and that is the "click" moment to be exploited to change one's destiny.

3 / Consumerology

"Consumer.ology" by Philip Graves is one of the best books on marketing and consumer behavior. It delves into the psychology of customers and provides useful insights into how to better understand and target their insights and purchases. By understanding the fundamentals of consumer behavior, you can create more effective marketing campaigns that produce results.

The book is full of very useful case-studies, research and data analysis to provide an in-depth look inside people's minds. It contains truly exemplary insights for anyone who wants to learn more about persuasive communication from psychological evidence.

4 / Don't make me think!

"Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug is another gold mine for those who want to understand the fundamentals of marketing starting with the cognitive aspects of the discipline and without a lot of theories based on personal opinions and more or less unbelievable narratives.

This gem focuses on theuser experience in digital and how to create a website that encourages customer engagement, sales, and satisfaction. Although the book is a few years old, it is required reading. Krug provides still-valid guidance on how to create a website and digital interfaces that are both user-friendly, enjoyable and effective.

Definitely "Don't make me think" is the basis of Deep Marketing's work in designing and optimizing clients' websites!

5 / Small brands grow up

"How Brands Grow" by Byron Sharp is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the fundamentals of building a brand from the ground up.

Designed for those who manage or own small brands, it is in truth the text on this list that comes closest to scientific perfection in the discipline.

This book is packed with research-based answers to questions marketers are constantly asking. It covers areas such as brand expansion, the actual effectiveness of advertising, the impact of price discounts, and the influence of loyalty plans. Despite the mountain of data, How Brands Grow is written in a way that is suitable for professionals and enthusiasts. Really great.

The book is also innovative because it examines and explains empirical laws in a practical way. And it has the strength and courage to shout out how many famous marketing theories--such as Brand Positioning--taken for granted by so many experts or otherwise are ... hogwash.

What is empirical evidence in marketing? What is the science of the discipline? Start with our in-depth study.

6 / Advertising according to the Master

"Ogilvy on Advertising" by David Ogilvy is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the cornerstones of advertising. In this historic and apex book, Ogilvy shares his insights on how to create effective advertising campaigns that drive results. He provides valuable advice on how to create compelling messages that resonate with customers.

Recall that Sir David Ogilvy CBE was one of the greatest masters in advertising, most famous for founding the firm Ogilvy & Mather. He earned the title "Father of Advertising" because of his incredible work and achievements. His campaigns success is due to his training at the research organization Gallup, where he learned to pay close attention to consumer behavior and statistics.

We recommend you learn more about Ogilvy's history and the legacies of the greatest names in advertising and marketing in thearticle dedicated to our Masters.

7 / Created to be unforgettable

"Made to Stick" by Chip Heath is a must-read for every marketer. This book delves into the concept of "stickiness" in content, or the ability to create messages that stick in customers' minds. Heath provides useful guidance on how to create effective messages that will help you better connect with your audience. It is also a small essay in social psychology because it delves into the concept of "social currency" in message construction.

With chapters devoted to storytelling, simplicity, emotion and the unexpected, this book will help you create creative and memorable messages. With its clear writing style and practical advice, "Made to Stick" is a Bible for anyone who wants to make their content stand out.

8 / The Rivets of the Mind

"Riveted" by Jim Davies is another outstanding source for those who want to understand the fundamentals of storytelling. This volume explores the power of storytelling to and how to create compelling stories that engage and captivate customers. Even while making them laugh!

Riveted reveals the evolutionary root of why certain things capture our attention, from art to faith, from athletics to superstition. These captivating elements latch onto our minds like a key in a lock, energizing us and propelling us forward, yet we rarely understand what makes them fit.

Imagine how powerful it is to apply these mechanisms to marketing.

9 / The signal in the noise

Eight years ago a book was being published that is now legend. Mostly thanks to its author.

Indeed, Nate Silver had stunned the world with his revolutionary approach to forecasting, from baseball to the outcome of the 2008 election. His exceptional ability to anticipate even the 2012 results earned him recognition as the country's most trusted political "forecaster." Silver is the mastermind behind FiveThirtyEight, the popular website. Everyone raves about his skills.

In his book "The Signal and the Noise", Silver then investigates the world of prediction, trying to understand how it is possible to separate a real signal from the abundance of confusing information. He applies his method to different worlds.

"The Signal and the Noise" is therefore essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the power of data-driven decisions. Remember that marketing is a science based on data and statistics. A book like this provides the necessary mindset.

10 / Trust an impostor

"Trust Me I'm Lying" by Ryan Holiday, is probably one of the most influential books of the past decade. It is a guide to the 21st century media ecosystem and shows how online media structures and incentives serve to polarize us by fueling fear and anger. And how to exploit them in marketing and PR.

First published in 2012, the book is in many places terribly cynical and not totally applicable to the Italian ecosystem. But it inevitably provides a rather Machiavellian-if accurate-understanding of the world of journalism, media, marketing and influencers.

One of the best mental antibodies you can equip yourself with.

10+ / Digital Deep Marketing Remastered

Of course, we could not fail to include the latest rewrite of our agency's book-manifesto. Digital Deep Marketing Remastered is the 2022 version of what has been a best-seller in Italian marketing, published by Lindau/Anteprima and written by Deep Marketing CEO Francesco Galvani.

The book is both a summary of a process leading to marketing "well done," and a presentation of a strategic approach to branding oriented to demand and deep customer needs. It falls among the positioning systems close to the Blue Ocean, but is much simpler and designed especially for small brands and the Italian scenario.

Conclusion

We explored the 10+1 best marketing books of all time according to Deep Marketing.

Whether you are an experienced marketer or just getting started, these volumes are sure to provide you with the knowledge and insights you need to take your results and your neurons much higher.

Not enough for you? Don't know where to start?

Rely on Deep Marketing, one of the best Italian advertising agencies according to the prestigious GoodFirms ranking. With our help, you can create an effective marketing strategy that will bring results.