Is zagging enough?
In his latest book ZAG: The No.1 Strategy of high-Performance Brands, Marty Neumeier introduces a seductively simple thesis on what makes a successful brand.
Neumeier argues (very persuasively) that the fundamental difference between successful brands and the rest is precisely that: fundamental difference.
To Neumeier, radical differentiation (what he describes as zagging when everyone else is zigging) is the crucial state that any business or organisation has to achieve in order to cut through all the marketing clutter.
ZAG is a fascinating and helpful little book, which could be very valuable to anyone starting out on the journey of building a brand, or at a stage of re-assessing their business strategy. It’s short, it’s easy to follow, and it takes the general reader through a series of exercises (Neumeier calls them checkpoints) which are thought-provoking and rewarding.
The principle of radical differentiation is a powerful one and I am in broad agreement with it: the author cites some compelling evidence of highly differentiated brands achieving greater long term performance than others. Differentiation from the competition is absolutely crucial for brand success, but I was left at the end of the book feeling a little unsatisfied, because I don’t think that differentiation on its own is enough.
I believe that differentiation has to be woven into a more complex fabric which also includes an authentic and compelling narrative, a values base which customers can relate to and trust, a strong communications strategy, and the ability to connect with customers’ hearts as well as their minds, among other things.
Having said that, Neumeier (who has a very impressive career in brand and visual identity and is also the author of another brand best-seller The Brand Gap) has honed in on one of the most important aspects of brand, and the one which so many businesses seem most reluctant to pursue (for fear of being different, when it’s actually being different that matters).
Overall ZAG is an easy read, refreshingly short and to the point, and one that you can return to as a reference again and again. Recommended.
