The one-sentence summary

It is vital to bridge the gap between brand strategy and execution.

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WHAT THE BOOK SAYS

  • This is all about how to bridge the distance between brand strategy and design (brand execution).
  • In most companies this is separated by a chasm – left-brain strategists and marketing people on the one hand (analytical, logical, linear, concrete, numerical), and right-brain creative people on the other (intuitive, emotional, spatial, visual, physical).
  • The Brand Gap can cause a brilliant strategy to fail where it counts most (at the point of contact with the customer), or it can doom a bold creative initiative before it’s even launched.
  • The gap can be bridged by pursuing five areas:
    1. Differentiate: who are you, what do you do, why does it matter?
    2. Collaborate: it’s the survival of the fittingest. Specialists work best.
    3. Innovate: design ignites passion, not strategy. Zag when others zig.
    4. Validate: start a dialogue, and pay proper attention to feedback.
    5. Cultivate: looking after brands is never-ending.
  • The emphasis of marketing appeal has shifted from features (what it has) to benefits (what it does) to experience (what you’ll feel) to identification (who you are).
  • Companies should appoint a CBO – a Chief Brand Officer – although such people are rare because they span the gap between right- and left-brain.

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT

  • Raymond Loewy espoused MAYA – the Most Advanced Yet Acceptable solution.
  • All collaboration is ‘tidy in print but messy in practice.’. It takes hard work.
  • The successful company is not the one with the most brains, but the one with the most brains acting in concert.
  • Can’t be number one or two? Then redefine your category. Competition forces specialization – the survival of the fittingest.
  • Turfismo is the behind-the-scenes politicking that ruins many initiatives.
  • Featuritis is an infectious desire for more that overloads things (web pages, technology products) with far too much of everything.
  • The Swap Test involves swapping part of your icon – the name or visual element – with that of a competitor. They should not be interchangeable, and if it looks better, there is room for improvement.
  • The Hand Test: cover the logo of any piece of communication and try to work out who did it. If you don’t know, the branding isn’t strong enough.
  • Edward de Bono suggested that, instead of USP (Unique Selling Proposition), brands should pay attention to UBS (Unique Buying State of their customers).

WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH

  • Not much. It’s short and clear.