David Aaker, a marketing professor at the Haas School of Business, defines a value proposition as having three parts: functional benefits, emotional benefits and self-expressive benefits.

FORBES: Getting Your 'Why Us' Story Straight

The Dragonfly Effect, authored by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith, examines how people are using social media to connect and form groups that create change throughout the globe.

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This article is by Dr. Erich Joachimsthaler, founder of Vivaldi Partners, an innovation strategy and marketing firm and co-author, with David A. Aaker, of Brand Leadership and Hidden in Plain Sight.

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