The Brand Gap

This is a very informative book by Marty Neumeier.  In the introductory chapters one of the key points he made was that a logo is not a brand. The next big point, which is carried through the rest of the book is that a brand “isn’t what you say it is, it’s what they say it is.” It isn’t made by executives in a board room, but in the minds of the consumers. He then goes on to explain the five points that define a brand. The first of these is differentiation. If you can’t differentiate yourself from your competitors you are doomed to fail. If every decision made within the company is not made with brand integrity in mind, you may face the same consequence.  The second defining point is collaboration. There are many different working models of how to manage a brand, but the most important thing to remember is to get help from people who know their field so you can achieve the best possible outcome for your company instead of trying to do it all yourself.  The third point is innovation. This can be summed up by the phrase, “when everybody zigs, zag.” Naming, packaging, icons and avatars are all a part of the innovative process.  The next point is validation. The purpose of validation is to make sure a company has and keeps its integrity. It also helps to lose the “fear of stupid.” Testing, such as the swap test, the field test, and the concept test, all help to make sure a company is “getting the right idea and getting the idea right.” The final point is cultivation. This helps to make sure a company can grow and live within its brand because it is a “living organism, not an entity.” Every time a decision is made, this question should be asked: “Will it help or hurt the brand?” Overall, this book was extremely well-written, easy to read, informative, and interesting. I would definitely recommend it.