THE INFINITE ASSET: Managing Brands to Build New Value

In this intriguing book, which will strike most readers as a glib theoretical exercise, the authors contend, "the greatest brand value is now being created in the intersections between individual brands. Kmart and Martha Stewart are worth more together than they are apart." The authors, partners at Helios Consulting, lay out a formula for capitalizing on this idea: chart every interaction a brand has—from where it's advertised to who its partners are—and determine how to get the most out of every relationship, and they explain this formula in three simple chapters (understanding, optimizing and implementing). (Oct.)