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

click here for more details, find new or used items	Marty Neumeier Our price £8.37 (£13.95) New from £6.30 Used from £8.07 Pages: 208 (Paperback) ISBN: 0321348109 Pub: Peachpit Press Pub date: 2005-08-25 Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 39074

Reader Reviews:

Well Designed (1/1 people found this helpful)

Very easy to read, tries to pin down what can be a nebulous concept, the idea of 'brand gap', basically the hole down which marketing attempts fall when the marketers ideas don't match those of the buying public. The layout is business, powerpoint style friendly. It is pithy, to the point and easily digestible for those business people with the need to address this problem or at least understand it, and not much time in which to do it. Good glossary in the revised edition.

Thought-Provoking Insights About Thought-Provocation (18/18 people found this helpful)

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.

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