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

I read Marty Neumeier’s Zag before I read The Brand Gap. And after reading The Brand Gap, I would say I appreciate Zag more– The Brand Gap paved the path to what could be one of the more practical contemporary marketing strategies encountered.

What makes The Brand Gap a pleasurable and enriching read is that it doesn’t reach out to you like a normal book would. It uses visual imagery and interesting layouts to drive a point. The explanations are deft and nimble, but sometimes could frustrate the reader looking for a treatise in branding. The books is also not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom, especially on the marketing research side of things. Neumeier slams quantitative market research and focus groups.

To a web professional, branding should be a familiar concept. With design moving towards commoditization in my opinion, creating a strong web brand add value to the gradients, drop shadows and reflections in the web graphics.

The Brand Gap is highly recommended to web designers, web developers and website owners who would like to know more about branding and learning how to overcome challenges in creating a differentiated brand.