Things We Like

From time to time we'll feature books, articles, products and services we like, that could be helpful for people starting a responsible business or for good brands looking to get better.

Marketing software and technology 

Good-Loop logo

Advertising

Good-Loop is an ethical online advertising platform which raises money for good causes of your choice. If people engage with your ads, they unlock a free donation for whichever of your charity or social initiative partners they'd like to support. 
Good-Loop helps brands do good things for the world, whilst delivering better than average advertising performance and building brand advocacy.

Mailer Lite logo

Email marketing

MailerLite is a G2 Award winning email marketing service that also offers campaign automation and landing pages. It's also one of our favourite marketing tools. Simple to use, it integrates easily with popular website platforms, including WordPress, and eCommerce platforms such as Shopify. 
MailerLite offers start-up friendly pricing, great customer service and big discounts for charities and non-profits.

Ionos Logo

Domains & sites

If you are looking to want to create an online presence for your business, we recommend IONOS. They offer domains, web sites and hosting alongside business email and a bunch of start-up friendly services. 
We generally find IONOS cheaper than other domain providers and they abide by strict German privacy and security laws. Use our referral link below to unlock special  discounts and rewards.

Books for growing better businesses

Brand Pharmacists has partnered with Bookshop.org, an online bookshop and B Corporation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops. We believe bookshops are essential to a healthy culture. They are places where authors can connect with readers and where children get hooked on the thrill of reading that can last a lifetime. But they're under threat from overseas based online retailers. So, together with Bookshop.org, we have created The Book Pharmacy, an easy, convenient way for you to buy books whilst supporting independent bookshops at the same time. 10%-30% of the price for books you order is added to an earnings pool, that's distributed among participating independent British bookshops every month.

Image of the book Hooked

Hooked

By Nir Eyal

Why do some products capture our attention while others flop? What makes us buy or use certain things out of sheer habit? Nir Eyal answers these questions (and many more) with the Hook Model - a four step process to bring people back again and again without depending on costly advertising or aggressive messaging.

Image of the book Alchemy

Alchemy

By Rory Sutherland

Advertising legend Rory Sutherland reveals why abandoning logic and casting aside rationality is the best way to solve many problems. He shows how economists, businesses and governments have got it all wrong: we are not rational creatures who make every decision based on evidence, so sometimes we need to think less logically.
Image of The Copy Book cover

The Copy Book

By D&AD

The lessons learned from these pages help you create clearer and more persuasive arguments, whether you are writing an inspiring speech, website copy or an ad. This is not simply a "must-have" book for people in advertising and marketing, it is also for anyone who needs to write things to inform, engage and convert others.

Image of the book How Brands Grow

How Brands Grow

By Byron Sharp

You'll find plenty of advice online, telling you how you can use marketing to grow sales and establish your brand. But, unlike most of the advice online, How Brands Grow gives evidence-based guidance on issues such as how brands grow, how advertising really works, what price promotions really do and how loyalty programs really affect loyalty.

Image of the book How Brands Grow Part 2

How Brands Grow Part 2

By Jenni Romaniuk & Byron Sharp

How Brands Grow revolutionised marketing thinking but some felt it focused too much on packaged goods and retail. Part 2 is a must read for marketers working in start-ups, emerging markets, services, durables and the luxury category. It features evidence that challenges conventional wisdom about growing brands in these markets.

Image of the book The Choice Factory

The Choice Factory

By Richard Shotton

In this easy-to-read book, Richard Shotton investigates how our behaviour is shaped by the psychological shortcuts that our brains use when making decisions. With a clear focus on the marketing potential of knowing what makes us tick, he draws on evidence from academia, ad campaigns and his own original research. 

Image of the book The Founders Mentality

The Founder's Mentality

By Chris Zook & James Allen

Why is profitable growth so hard to achieve and sustain? When Chris Zook and James Allen, researched this question, they found that when companies fail to achieve their growth targets, 90 percent of the time the root causes are internal, not external. They explain how to overcome these challenges and achieve profitable growth.



Image of the book The Creative Nudge

The Creative Nudge

By Mick Mahoney & Kevin Chesters

Creative thinking is something everyone can do. It's a way of looking at the world afresh, doing new things in new ways, taking risks. The Creative Nudge demonstrates how to unleash your innate originality and how small actions can have big impacts on our thinking, retrain your brain and allow you to find more creative solutions.

Image of the book How to F Up Your Start Up

How to F... Up Your Start Up

By Kim Hvidkjaer

Kim Hvidkjaer explains the science behind why 90% of companies fail and how you can avoid it. Kim has become an expert in failure: what it means, what it looks like, and the strategies that business owners can use to prevent it. This book offers a journey through the issues that cause most companies to crash and how to address them.

Wellbeing & personal development books 

Building a business is hard work so it's important to keep learning and improving, whilst maintaining your own physical and mental wellbeing. Here are three of our favourite wellbeing and personal development books. Discover more recommendations at The Book Pharmacy.
Image of the book You Coach You

You Coach You

By Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis

In You Coach You, you'll learn the mindset, skillset and toolkit you need to coach yourself. There is no such thing as a straight line to success and one can understand and solve your problems better than you can. Learning to coach yourself will accelerate your self-awareness and help you clarify your goals and take control of your career.



Image of the book When The Clouds Come

When The Clouds Come

By Drew Povey

When the Clouds Come is a book that understands the stressors we face, not only in our own lives, but also those that surround us in this challenging era. Drew Povey shares tried and tested ideas to help yourself when life feels tough. This is one of those books to be dipped back into whenever you need it.

Thinking Fast and Slow

By Daniel Kahneman

Why is there more chance we'll believe statements in bold type? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice and provides straightforward advice to help you make better decisions at work, at home, and in everything you do.

Brands making, renting & selling good things 

Generous Ape Logo

Generous APE

Generous APE is a one stop shop for sustainable style led brands with ethical values. 10% of annual profits are donated ti charities supporting the welfare of animals, our planet and the environment

habbio logo

Habbio

Habbio is a family business based in the UK, in fact the family have been making chairs in Derbyshire for over 70 years. Their single goal is to make the world's most sustainable sofa: affordable and 100% recyclable.
thelittleloop logo

thelittleloop

thelittleloop solves a big challenges faced by parents: the cost and waste of buying new clothes for children that soon get outgrown. Instead, rent kids clothes made by ethical brands, with insurance included too.

Rights for any third party brands, logos and intellectual property featured in our recommendations remain with their respective legal owners.

We only recommend services we have tested and found effective. We may earn a commission for referrals in some instances.

We only recommend texts that we've found helpful and informative. We may earn a small commission for book sale referrals.

Featuring a brand or text on this page does not automatically denote or infer a legal or commercial relationship exists between any of the parties.