What’s your favourite book, or which book inspired you in Marketing?

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Hello Marketing Professionals on Atlassian Community!

People say, “We are what we eat.” I’d tweak that to: “We are what we read.” 📚

While many of us now turn to podcasts or videos, reading still has its magic — it reduces stress, sharpens our focus, develops patience, and fuels critical thinking. Most importantly for marketers, books expand our knowledge and inspire new ideas.

So, I’m curious: What’s your favourite marketing book — the one that truly inspired you?

Here are a few from my list:

💡 They Ask, You Answer, written by Marcus Sheridan
A colleague recommended this, and I devoured it in one sitting. It’s about building trust and driving growth by openly answering your customers’ most pressing questions. A fantastic guide to using content as a business growth engine.

💡 Marketing Warfare, written by Al Ries & Jack Trout
I found this book during one of the toughest times in my life. I was curious how “warfare” could relate to marketing, so that was the reason I bought this book... and I wasn’t disappointed. It uses military strategy principles to show how to win market share through offensive, defensive, flanking, or guerrilla tactics.

💡 Unconscious Branding, written by Douglas Van Praet
I spotted this one while wandering through a shopping mall. In a while I bought it and didn't regret. The blends neuroscience, psychology, and marketing to explain how brands can connect with audiences on an instinctive, emotional level.

Now over to you — which Marketing book would you recommend to read?

[Huwen Arnone _Deiser_]

In marketing, I can’t say I’ve ever had a straight source of inspiration. As we do a little bit of everything, and as my studies have been focused on communications. For me, it’s been more about enjoying the constant flow of discoveries, different approaches, and unexpected insights. It’s what keeps it exciting.

That said, there are a couple of reads indirectly related to marketing that have shaped the way I think and helped me grow as a marketer (and as a person!):

• From a psychology standpoint, the "Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman is not only one of my all-time favorite books, but it also inspired me to improve myself and support others (customers, coworkers, and anyone) in a practical, meaningful way.
  
  

• From a communication standpoint, "The Global Village" by Marshall McLuhan. It’s fascinating how, back in the 60s, he was already predicting the internet’s impact and how it would reshape the way we influence and are influenced by each other.
  
  

• From a methodological standpoint, while it's not a book, everything related to inbound marketing by Brian Halligan has helped me structure a methodology that the world was already practicing long before the term existed.

Now, with AI reshaping the landscape again, it feels like the same game, but with an entirely new body. As I've said before, this is what keeps it exciting.

Btw, that Marketing Warfare book sounds interesting, I will take a look at it. Thanks for sharing @Daria Kulikova_GitProtect_io 🤩✅