Icons of the American marketplace : consumer brand excellence.

Includes index.

"By profiling America's best-known and most beloved brands, this volume identifies the characteristics that contribute to their iconic status and celebrates their place in everyday American life." "These products, logos, and stories have captured the hearts and minds of American consumers. Each featured brand began with a spark of genius. Some were developed to fulfill specific needs; other were surprises. Some were propelled to success by historic events, visionary managers, or timely company expansion. Others had distinctive packaging, great marketing campaigns, catchy jingles, unforgettable ads, or pitch-perfect spokespeople." "Here are the stories of iconic products along with anecdotes highlighting what made them shine above the rest. A vivid color photograph that captures the essence of the brand accompanies each story. Listings containing the "vital statistics" of each brand - who owns the company, where it is located, its number of employees, annual sales, and top managers - make this an indispensable reference."--BOOK JACKET.