I recently attended a workshop where we discussed Marty Neumeier’s book, The Brand Gap. Some of you may be familiar with the book, but it’s a quick two-hour read illuminating the fact that, at most companies, strategy and creativity are separated by a wide divide. On one side of the divide, you have the analytical, logical thinkers. And on the other you have the emotional and intuitive thinkers. And in the middle is this wide gulf connected by a rickety bridge that many don’t dare to cross.
Neumeier believes that it’s when you combine strategy and creativity – when both sides of the divide work together – is where the magic happens. A serving of each help to create the recipe of a charismatic brand that consumers don’t see as “nice to have” but “essential to have” in order to live out their daily lives. On a micro-level, you could even boil down this recipe to an “amuse-bouche,” a blend of strategy and creativity for a successful project that gives you that “taste” of an appealing brand.
But how do you help your brand become “charismatic” in the chaos of the consumer marketplace? Neumeier outlines the five disciplines of brand-building that he sees as imperative to master:
Whether you’re a fan of cooking or baking (or neither), it’s not hard to see that the right mix of elements have a certain chemistry that all work to work together. Similarly, your brand is a recipe, with all the main ingredients designing an incredible end-product that your consumers will crave again and again. And whether all or just part of Neumeier’s words ring true for you and your company’s brand, remember to not get stuck in the “gap” of the brand divide.