Welch, whose books glorified their skills and boosted the reputations of Chrysler and General Electric, D'Alessandro penned Brand Warfare: 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand (McGraw-Hill).

FORBES: Stand-Up Brand

Launched in 2008 the Groupon brand flourished: It had a killer app, zero competition, the necessary commercial infrastructure, few decision makers, pumped investors, millions of consumers, a unique process and minimal risk of failure.

FORBES: How Groupon Can Regain Ground

" "We believe this is the killer app that's going to get you deeply involved with a brand.

FORBES: You Play, They Win