How does a book written 2500 years ago in Chinese relate to us in our everyday business lives?

The Art of War written by Sun Tzu in 500 BC has so many quotable quotes that many have become part of mainstream conversation. Although originally written as a guidebook for military commanders the parallels with business planning and execution are readily apparent. My favourite from a marketing perspective is “Know your enemy”. Or to quote it in full: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle”. What better advice could you get to sum up the importance of branding and brand differentiation in todays’ marketing environment?!