Kalynne Miller COM 357 Book Review (The Brand Gap) 11/26/13 The Brand Gap Where to even

begin, The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeir was truly a type of book that I have never read before. His style of writing, vivid graphics, and cut to the chase attitude made this book both entertaining and informative. The main concepts that Neumeir discusses in his book are, giving a modern definition of what a brand is, and further explaining the five disciplines of building a brand. He doesnt waste anytime getting into the topic of brands, and begins by dispelling some myths about brands. First, a brand is not a logo. A logo, or any other kind of trademark is simply a symbol for the brand itself. Second, a brand is not an identity system. Meaning that consistency alone does not create a brand. Finally, a brand is not a product, but rather an invisible layer of meaning that surrounds the product. So what is a brand? Neumeir describes it as this, A brand is a persons gut feeling, about a product, service or organization. (Neumeir, 2) This is because a brand is defined by individuals, not by companies, markets, or the so-called general public. And then it is not until enough people have the same gut feeling, that a company can then be said to have a brand. A brand is what THEY say it is (people), not what you say it is. For me it all made sense after I read it! I had been one who thought a brand was an identity, but Neumeir has clearly made the point that it is much more than that.

Kalynne Miller COM 357 Book Review (The Brand Gap) 11/26/13 This leads to the problem that is most companies have when it comes to their brand. Wherever there is a disconnect between strategy and creativity- between logic and magic- theres a brand gap. On one side there are the strategic thinkers that focus on things like analytics and numbers. And then on the other side are the creative thinkers that focus on visuals, emotions, and intuition. When both sides work together, then you can build a charismatic brand. A charismatic brand can be defined as any product, service, or company for which people believe there is no substitute. Brands like Coca-Cola, Apple, Nike, IKEA, BMW, and Disney are all clear choices for charismatic brands, and they have all become a type of modern icon. There are no dull products, only dull brands. (Neumeir, 19) However before you can have a charismatic brand that has bridged the gap between strategy and creativity, you first need to build your brand. Believe it or not they dont just occur on their own. Luckily Neumeir breaks it down into the Five Disciplines of Brand Building. The first discipline is to be different. Since we mostly rely on sight, our visual system is hardwired to discern the differences between things we see. It looks for contrast, so being different will help your brand stand out above the rest. We like different! The second discipline of branding is collaborating. There are three basic models for managing brand collaboration: 1. Outsourcing the brand to a one-stop shop, 2. Outsourcing it to a brand agency, 3. Stewarding the brand internally with an integrated marketing team. Neumeir goes on to discuss how even though collaborative networks arent that simple, that its still ok! In fact a successful model has existed for years in the movie

Kalynne Miller COM 357 Book Review (The Brand Gap) 11/26/13 making industry. Making a movie takes hundreds and hundred of collaborators. The third discipline of branding is to innovate. Execution- not strategy is where the rubber meets the road. Execution is the most difficult part of the branding mix to control. Its magic, not logic that ignites passion in customers. Innovation requires a lot of creativity, and for most business people that makes them uneasy. But according to Neumeir innovation lies at the heart of both better design and better business. The fourth discipline is to validate. In this case validation mean bringing the audience into the creative process. And you can do this by implementing a new model of communication. The old communication model was a monologue where the sender sends a message to the receiver. Now the new communication model is a dialogue where the receiver then sends a message back to the sender to provide feedback. The fifth and final discipline is to cultivate. A living brand is a pattern of behavior, not a stylistic veneer. Brands are like people! An example of this would be clothing. A person can change their clothes without changing their character, so why cant brand do the same? So now that you have differentiated, collaborated, innovated, validated, and cultivated, you have bridged the gap between strategy and design. However you are not done there, you need to focus on keeping you management as strong as your brand has become. One way of doing this is by hiring a Chief Branding Officer (CBO) to form a bridge between the strategy and design. This will help your brand to

Kalynne Miller COM 357 Book Review (The Brand Gap) 11/26/13 continue mastering the five disciplines of branding, and the value of your brand will spiral higher.