Recommended reading: Avoiding casual leadership and proving marketing’s value

Beware Casual Leaders

By Andy Portsmouth

In business there are good apples and bad apples, and when leaders fall into the latter group, their poor behaviours have a ripple effect on those around them, according to Andy Portsmouth.

He suggests leadership is about competency and character, and says he wants to help readers “cut through the corporate bullshit” to understand why and how many businesses are being disrupted by those on the inside. He claims the biggest error companies can make is choosing the wrong leaders or failing to properly train those in charge.

Jam-packed with real-life stories, ‘Beware Casual Leaders’ also illustrates what it takes to make a good leader and why some people will simply never make it.

8 ways marketers can show their work’s financial results

By Paul Magill, Christine Moorman and Nikita Avdiushko

Having trouble proving the financial impact of your marketing? You’re not alone. Harvard Business Review (HBR) asked 300 marketing leaders what they find most difficult and the answer was demonstrating the impact of marketing actions on financial outcomes.

With an easy-to-follow eight-step strategy, HBR offers a run-down of how marketers can overcome this challenge. To form the eight steps, the authors spoke to a number of CMOs, as well as CFOs, COOs, and CEOs looking to make effective decisions about marketing investments.

READ MORE: 8 ways marketers can show their work’s financial results

Hello, My Name Is Awesome

By Alexandra Watkins

Alexandra Watkins, the CEO of branding company Eat My Words, says too many new companies and products have names that look like the results of a drunken Scrabble game.

In the second edition of her ‘Hello, My Name Is Awesome’, Watkins shares how brands can ensure they get their name right. She also explains how anyone, including those who might not consider themselves creative, can come up with an effective brand name.

She provides examples of both winners and losers in the naming game, strategies to nab an available domain name, as well as the power of names in the workplace.

Influence: How social media influencers are shaping our digital future

By Sara McCorquodale

The influencer industry is predicted to be worth $10bn (£8.3bn) by next year. Its pull is undeniable, according to Sara McCorquodale, who says it can be difficult for businesses to understand what will work and why given it’s such a fast-growing area of marketing.

She offers insight into why some influencer campaigns can be counter-productive, and how companies can master the industry to save both time and money.

McCorquodale, who is CEO and founder of influencer platform CORQ, draws on interviews with key figures to form an analysis of the problems now faced by businesses and brands around the world, and how such issues can be identified, tackled and overcome.