160. Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are

Rating:  ☆☆1/2

Recommended by:

Author:   Rob Walker

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Business, Psychology, Economics

261 pages, published January 1, 2008

Reading Format:  Book

 

Summary

The themes of Buying In is that brands are dead, advertising no longer works, and consumers are in control.  Rob Walker argues that as a result, there has been an important cultural shift that includes a practice he calls murketing, in which people create brands of their own and participate in marketing campaigns for their favorites.  Rather than becoming immune to them, we are rapidly embracing brands.  Profiling Timberland, American Apparel, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Red Bull, iPod, and Livestrong, among others, Walker demonstrates the ways in which buyers adopt products not just as consumer choices but as conscious expressions of their identities.

 

My Take

I picked up Buying In off the shelf at a Malibu vacation rental we were staying at, having heard nothing about the book.  With swaths of free time and a four day deadline to read it, I managed to finish the book.  While I learned a few somewhat interesting things about marketing for different brands, the book barely held my attention.  If you work in the field of marketing and brands, then this book is for you.  If not, my advice is to skip it.