Customer Reviews

The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an expanded edition of a book first published in 2003. In it, Neumeier develops in greater depth several basic ideas about how to bridge a gap between business strategy and design. My own experience suggests that on occasion, there may be a conflict or misalignment rather than a "gap." Or the business strategy is inappropriate. Or the design concepts are wrong-headed. Or the execution fails. Whatever, Neumeier correctly notes that "A lot of people talk about it. Yet very few people understand it. Even fewer know how to manage it. Still, everyone wants it. What is it? Branding. of course -- arguably the most powerful business tool since the spreadsheet." What Neumeier offers is a "30,000-foot view of brand: what it is (and isn't), why it works (and doesn't), and most importantly, how to bridge the gap between logic and magic to build a sustainable competitive advantage." Of course, that assumes that both logic and magic are present and combined...or at least within close proximity of each other.

As others have already indicated, Neumeier provides a primer ("the least amount of information necessary") rather than a textbook. His coverage is not definitive, nor intended to be. He has a crisp writing style, complemented by "the shorthand of the conference room" (i.e. illustrations, diagrams, and summaries). Some describe his book an "easy read" but I do not. When reading short and snappy books such as this one, I have learned that certain insights resemble depth charges or time capsules: they have a delayed but eventually significant impact. For example, Neumeier explains why "Three Little Questions" can bring a high-level marketing meeting to a screeching halt:

1. Who are you?
2. What do you do?
3. Why does it matter?

I also want to express my admiration of the book's design features. They create an appropriate visual context within which Neumeier examines each of five "Disciplines": differentiation, collaboration, innovation, validation, and cultivation. Expect no head-snapping revelations. For many of those who read this book, its greatest value will will be derived from reiteration of certain core concepts which Neumeier reviews with uncommon clarity and concision. Check out the "Take-Home Lessons" (pages 149-157) which include

"A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service, or company. It's not what you say it is. It's what THEY say it is."

"Differentiation has evolved from a focus on `what it is,' to `what it does,' to 'how you'll feel,' to `who you are.' While features, benefits, and price are still important to people, experiences and personal identity are even more important."

"How do you know when an idea is innovative? When it scares the hell out of you."

Readers having relatively less experience with the branding process will especially appreciate the provision of an expanded (220-word) "Brand Glossary." Neumeier also includes a "Recommended Reading" section in which he briefly comments on each source. When reading business books, I much prefer annotated bibliographies such as Neumeier's to mere lists. For whatever reasons, many provide neither.

I am not a CEO, owner, entrepreneur, SVP of marketing, nor do I work in a company struggling to turn a fourth-tier brand into a world beater. Those are the native audiences for this wonderful, finish-it-in-a-plane-ride book. I'm a writer and consultant trying to explain branding to fundraisers, and what I intensely like about Marty Neumeier's brief "whiteboard overview" (his phrase) of branding is that it answers ALL my questions about branding and brand strategy quickly, simply, with nicely selected examples. It starts with what branding is NOT (not your logo, not your visual ID, not your products). Then it defines what it truly is, "A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service, or company." That's in the first couple of pages. But of course there's so much more. I love a good, insight-rich how-to book the way others love a good mystery. The Brand Gap is among the best.

Marty Neumeier has written two "whiteboard" style books both dealing with branding and innovation - this is the first one. By whiteboard style, Neumeier's book is light on written content, moderate on visual content and layout, and heavy on basic, important, sharp ideas.

The book covers 5 principles to help bridge the gap between strategic thinking and creative 'magic' and uses a variety of visual and written metaphors, examples, and logical knowledge to do so. If you are looking for a text-heavy, super explanatory, in-depth type of book, then this isn't the one for you. If you're looking to focus your mindset when it comes to innovative branding, this is a great, go-to book to get through in a short amount of time.

The two main things I liked about this book were the fact it actually followed a lot of its own principles in terms of how it was designed/set up etc. and it also packed a lot of universality into these generic yet focused, sensical tips.

Case in point...here is what you'll get out of the book if you are:

A Student/Novice in the Field: Students will love this book to help them review a lot of what's happening in marketing right now, and the 5 guiding principles can help them innovate at their future workplaces. The expanded edition of this book includes a 200 word glossary of advertising terms that'll also help students and novices talk the talk.

Agencies: will delight at the tests Neumeier asks you to go through when developing a brand, particularly graphically in the "icon/avatar" section. The real-life examples of successful businesses identify the longevity of the brands and how it is obtained, giving hints to marketing/advertising agencies how to get that same magic formula.

Businesses: whether small or large, this is a great book to have. If you have an internal promotions/marketing department, this book should be distributed to the head of your branding staff to help them focus your company's direction in the market. If you are the owner of a small business without an internal marketing department, this book can help introduce you to the fundamental principles of branding that you can then discuss with an external agency.

Overall a great quick read that kept me hooked, never bored, and always thinking. The summative list of the main topics discussed throughout the book at the end was extremely helpful, although the glossary was kind of out of place as half the words in the glossary aren't used in the text. Probably helpful for beginners in the ad industry though.

This book feels a wee bit dated (it's been a couple of years since I've read the phrase "World Wide Web). It seems to dance all over the place, and did not offer any particularly unique ideas. Feels like it's cheating a bit with the big text.

It might be of interest to individuals who want a good overview of branding. May be too simplistic for individuals in the marketing, advertising, or design.

I read Marty Neumeier's Zag before I read The Brand Gap. And after reading The Brand Gap, I would say I appreciate Zag more-- The Brand Gap paved the path to what could be one of the more practical contemporary marketing strategies encountered.

What makes The Brand Gap a pleasurable and enriching read is that it doesn't reach out to you like a normal book would. It uses visual imagery and interesting layouts to drive a point. The explanations are deft and nimble, but sometimes could frustrate the reader looking for a treatise in branding. The books is also not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom, especially on the marketing research side of things. Neumeier slams quantitative market research and focus groups.

To a web professional, branding should be a familiar concept. With design moving towards commoditization in my opinion, creating a strong web brand add value to the gradients, drop shadows and reflections in the web graphics.

The Brand Gap is highly recommended to web designers, web developers and website owners who would like to know more about branding and learning how to overcome challenges in creating a differentiated brand.

Wow. This is one of the most inspiring and informative books I have ever read. The wisdom and focus I acquired from this book has been monumental. I thought that I knew about branding. Turns out, I had a lot to learn. The rich information is this book has helped me refocus my business and I am already seeing great results.

I enjoyed the way Brand Gap was written. It is a quick read with some insightful information. Two week after finishing it I'm not left with any earth shattering revelations about marketing, but it did make me think about things a little differently. A solid bathroom read. Good format for it.

I met Marty more than 20 years ago in Santa Barbara before he moved to San Francisco to make history helping Apple Computer and most other big internet names you know develop their brands. I was very young and had a one truck carpet cleaning company. I was lucky enough to persuade Marty and his team to take me on as a client. The best money I ever spent. He made my little company look and feel bigger than the giant franchise companies.

I am ordering my second addition copy of The Brand gap because I wore out my original copy. I wore it out re-reading it and showing it to business owner friends. We now own the largest horse industry advertising directory on the internet and this book is keeping us on track as we protect and expand our company brand.
Yes this is a book that can be read through on a flight from Los Angeles to Dallas. But you will re-read it when you have more time because there is so much more there than can be learned in a one time read. Then you will ask your employees to read it because a brand is not a logo, it's an idea that belongs to your customers. The presentation of the information is brilliant and gives insight into the mind of man that is the definition of cutting edge advertising design.
Robert Pruitt InfoHorse.com

While I love this book for the non-marketer, I found it a helpful way to jar some creative ideas, even as a life-long marketer. Simple, creative, entertaining and spot-on, the CEO of a large travel company recently read this book on my recommendation, given he was relatively new to marketing, and he loved it. Buy it, pick at few hour flight to enjoy it and you may just finish it before you land.

Always being involved with Small and Mid-sized organizations, I found Marty Neumeier's Brand Gap to be very concise and approachable not just a bunch of stuffy, arrogant, snobbery from a life in the fast lane dealing with major clients at major agencies.

Marty has worked for very high profile clients, yet he distills principles of Branding down to the nuts and bolts that anyone can use to build even their personal brand.

Brand Gap shows how to help "Bridge The Gap" between a firm's mission/strategy and the needs and desires of the customer. As Neumeier states, a Brand is what the market (your customers and prospects) feels about your business offering, not what YOU SAY IT IS.

Neumeier is Branding royalty, grab a copy read it and keep it. It is full of additional resources as well.