Martin Lindstrom Biography

Martin Lindstrom, Brand Futurist

Version 1: Ultra short – 62 words

MARTIN LINDSTROM is a 2009 recipient of TIME Magazine’s “World's 100 Most Influential People” and author of Buyology—Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Doubleday, New York), a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best–seller. A frequent advisor to heads of numerous Fortune 100 companies, Lindstrom has also authored 5 best sellers translated into 30 languages. More at martinlindstrom.com.

Version 2: Short – 153 words

MARTIN LINDSTROM is a 2009 recipient of TIME Magazine’s “World's 100 Most Influential People” and author of Buyology—Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Doubleday, New York), a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best–seller. A prolific traveler, Lindstrom is on the road 300 days annually dispensing his brand of wisdom to top executives of McDonald’s Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Microsoft Corporation, The Walt Disney Company and GlaxoSmithKline, amongst others. His personal global audience is estimated at over a million people. Lindstrom has and continues to feature in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, TIME, The Economist, New York Times, BusinessWeek, The Washington Post, USA Today, Fast Company, and numerous other publications. His recent book, BRAND Sense, was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as “…one of the five best marketing books ever published.” Lindstrom's latest book, Buyology, has been translated into more than 30 languages. More at martinlindstrom.com.

Version 3: Medium - 272 words

MARTIN LINDSTROM is a 2009 recipient of TIME Magazine’s “World's 100 Most Influential People” and author of Buyology—Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Doubleday, New York), a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best–seller. He is the CEO and Chairman of LINDSTROM Company and Chairman of Buyology Inc (New York), as well as BRAND Sense Agency (London). Lindstrom is a trusted advisor to numerous Fortune 100 companies including McDonald’s Corporation, PepsiCo, Nestlé, American Express, Microsoft Corporation, The Walt Disney Company and GlaxoSmithKline, amongst others. His personal global audience is estimated at over a million people.

Lindstrom has and continues to feature in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, TIME, The Economist, New York Times, BusinessWeek, The Washington Post, USA Today, Fast Company, The Economist, Harvard Business Review, Chicago Tribune, The Independent, The Times, The Guardian, New York Post, and has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, ABC News, CNN, CBS, Bloomberg, FOX, Discovery and BBC. His recent book, BRANDsense, was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as “…one of the five best marketing books ever published.”

Lindstrom’s latest book, Buyology, was voted “pick of the year” by USAToday, and, between 2008 and 2009, reached ten of the Top 10 best–seller lists in the U.S. and worldwide. His 5 books on branding have been translated into more than 30 languages and published in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Lindstrom frequently contributes to the New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, Parade, Contagious, CNN.com and Advertising Age and can often be seen on America’s #1 ranking morning TV show; The TODAY Show at NBC with his TV series: “Marketing Mind Games”. More at martinlindstrom.com.

Version 4: Extensive – 703 words

From building blocks to brand builder.

It all began one bright and optimistic summer's day in 1982 when ambitious 11–year–old Martin Lindstrom opened the doors to his very own Legoland. The miniature village had been meticulously prepared, complete with bonsai trees, scooped out inch–wide canals and featured numerous houses and ships constructed entirely out of Lego.  Young Martin's Legoland was the centerpiece of his parents’ back garden, and its creator anticipated a multitude of fascinated visitors. Not one showed up.

Aware that something more than mere brilliant design was needed to attract visitors, Martin had a brainwave: advertise! He promptly persuaded the local newspaper to run an ad — a simple act that was powerful enough to reveal the power of marketing. Sure enough, the following week 131 people streamed through the garden gate. Including two lawyers from Lego, who very politely informed Martin that if he persisted in using the ‘Legoland’ he’d be guilty of trademark infringement. Intrigued by the idea that someone else and not he had ownership and total control of his favorite toy’s name, and seduced by the manifest power of advertising, Martin decided to open his own advertising agency, which he succeeded in doing a couple of months later. Aged 12.

After selling his agency in 1988, Lindstrom attended the Academy of Advertising before joining international giant, BBDO. In 1994 he went on to form BBDO Interactive Europe. Three years later he founded BBDO Interactive Asia, both agencies growing to become the largest Internet solution companies in their respective regions. By age 30, Lindstrom had been appointed global COO of British Telecom/Looksmart. Working out of London and Sydney, his primary role was to establish a global operation with offices across 18 countries.

According to the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the unusually rapid ascent of Lindstrom’s career is responsible for the guru status he has today. Clearly he is one of today’s most respected branding minds in the world.

With a personal global audience of over a million people, Lindstrom is on the road 300 days annually sharing his brand of wisdom and pioneering methodologies through several speaking engagements and consultancies. As CEO and Chairman of LINDSTROM Company, as well as Chairman of Buyology Inc., Lindstrom advises top executives of internationally renowned organizations, including LEGO, Nokia, McDonald’s Corporation, Proctor & Gamble, Yellow Pages, Nestlé, American Express, Microsoft, PepsiCo, The Walt Disney Company and GlaxoSmithKline, amongst others.

In 2009, TIME Magazine, arguably one of the world’s most respected publications, published its annual World’s 100 Most Influential People, recognizing Lindstrom for his groundbreaking work on neuroscience and branding.

Lindstrom is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best–sellers author and has (and continues to be) featured in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, Fast Company, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, TIME Magazine, Fortune and The Washington Post, and has made appearances on NBC’s Today Show, ABC News, SKY, and several BBC shows. A regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and Advertising Age, Lindstrom’s creative agenda is enthusiastically followed by business executives, marketing professionals and leading academics around the world.

Lindstrom has conceived a revolutionary set of principles over his twenty years of hands–on marketing experience, principles that transform under–performing marketing strategies into positive business results.  He rejects the old industry rules that push branding as an art form composed of vague commercials and obscure awareness messages. Instead, his unique vision is scientific, process–based, and supported by global research studies. Lindstrom frequently publishes his observations on branding in regular, widely read columns and in his ‘Advertising Age’ video reports. In 2008 his brand–building road shows were held in 49 cities across 29 countries, attracting close on 800,000 attendees from around the world.

Martin Lindstrom is the author of 5 books, including collaborative works with industry icons such as Don Peppers, Martha Rogers, Paco Underhill, Patricia Seybold and Philip Kotler.
Lindstrom’s previous book, BRAND Sense, published by Simon & Schuster New York, was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as “…one of the five best marketing books ever published.” Like BRAND Sense before it, Buyology—Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Doubleday, New York), has been translated into over 30 languages. More at martinlindstrom.com.

Version 5: Extensive – 918 words

About Martin Lindstrom

MARTIN LINDSTROM is the author of Buyology—Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Doubleday, New York), a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best–seller. Lindstrom is CEO and Chairman of LINDSTROM Company and Chairman of Buyology Inc. (New York) as well as BRAND Sense agency (London).

Lindstrom is a trusted advisor to numerous Fortune 100 companies and internationally renowned organizations including McDonald’s Corporation, Nestlé, American Express, Procter & Gamble, Microsoft Corporation, PepsiCo, The Walt Disney Company, Unilver, GlaxoSmithKline, LEGO, Nokia, and Yellow Pages, amongst others. His personal global audience is estimated at over a million people.

Lindstrom has and continues to feature in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, TIME, The Economist, New York Times, BusinessWeek, The Washington Post, USA Today, Fast Company, Forbes, The Economist, Harvard Business Review, Chicago Tribune, The Independent, The Times, The Guardian, New York Post, and has also appeared on NBC’s Today Show, ABC News, CNN, CBS, Bloomberg, FOX, Discovery and BBC. His recent book, BRAND Sense, (Simon & Schuster, New York) was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as “…one of the five best marketing books ever published.”

His latest book, Buyology, was voted “pick of the year” by USAToday, and, between 2008 and 2009, reached ten of the Top 10 best-seller lists in the U.S. and worldwide. His 5 books on branding have been translated into more than 30 languages and published in more than 60 countries worldwide. In addition, the Buyology Symposium is now running in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Lindstrom frequently contributes to the New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, Parade, Contagious, CNN.com and Advertising Age and can often be seen on America’s #1 ranking morning TV show; The TODAY Show at NBC with his TV series: “Marketing Mind Games”.

From building blocks to brand builder.

It all began one bright and optimistic summer’s day in 1982 when ambitious 11–year–old Martin Lindstrom opened the doors to his very own Legoland. The miniature village had been meticulously prepared, complete with bonsai trees, scooped out inch–wide canals and featured numerous houses and ships constructed entirely out of Lego. Young Martin’s Legoland was the centerpiece of his parents’ back garden, and its creator anticipated a multitude of fascinated visitors. Not one showed up.

Aware that something more than mere brilliant design was needed to attract visitors, Martin had a brainwave: advertise! He promptly persuaded the local newspaper to run an ad—a simple act that was powerful enough to reveal the power of marketing. Sure enough, the following week 131 people streamed through the garden gate. Including two lawyers from Lego, who very politely informed Martin that if he persisted in using the name ‘Legoland’ he’d be guilty of trademark infringement. Intrigued by the idea that someone else and not he had ownership and total control of his favorite toy’s name, and seduced by the manifest power of advertising, Martin decided to open his own advertising agency, which he succeeded in doing a couple of months later. Aged 12.

After selling his agency in 1988, Lindstrom attended the Academy of Advertising before joining international giant, BBDO. In 1994 he went on to form BBDO Interactive Europe. Three years later he founded BBDO Interactive Asia, both agencies growing to become the largest Internet solution companies in their respective regions. By age 30, Lindstrom had been appointed global COO of British Telecom/Looksmart. Working out of London and Sydney, his primary role was to establish a global operation with offices across 18 countries.

According to the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the unusually rapid ascent of Lindstrom’s career is responsible for the guru status he has today. Clearly he is one of today’s most respected branding minds in the world. With a personal global audience of over a million people, Lindstrom is on the road 300 days annually sharing his brand of wisdom and pioneering methodologies through several speaking engagements and consultancies.

Martin Lindstrom is the author of 5 books, including collaborative works with industry icons such as Don Peppers, Martha Rogers, Paco Underhill, Patricia Seybold and Philip Kotler. Lindstrom’s previous book, BRAND Sense, published by Simon & Schuster New York, was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as “…one of the five best marketing books ever published.” Like BRAND Sense before it, Buyology—Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Doubleday, New York), has been translated into over 30 languages.

TIME’s 100 Most Influential People: Lindstrom makes the 2009 list

In 2009, TIME Magazine, arguably one of the world’s most respected publications, published its annual World’s 100 Most Influential People, recognizing Lindstrom for his groundbreaking work on neuroscience and branding.

This prestigious event has included luminaries such as U.S. President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, the Dalai Lama, Pope Benedict XVI, Steve Jobs, Hillary Clinton, Rupert Murdoch and Nelson Mandela. The honor is awarded to individuals recognized for their work as influencers of positive changes in the world; recipients are awarded in 5 categories: Leaders & Revolutionaries; Builders & Titans; Artists & Entertainers; Scientists & Thinkers; and Heroes & Icons. Twenty ‘Influencers’ are selected within each category (sometimes pairs or small groups), for a grand total of 100 each year.

According to Managing editor of TIME Magazine; Richard Strengelis, “Influence is hard to measure, and what we look for is people whose ideas, whose example, whose talent, whose discoveries transform the world we live in. Influence is less about the hard power of force than the soft power of ideas and example.” More at martinlindstrom.com.


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