Media

Last weekend I read “Zag!” by Marty Neumeier. Neumeier runs a consulting firm that helps companies create strong brands (http://www.neutronllc.com) The book was great and a very quick read. Neumeier admits that it was intended to be a quick read. He knows you’re busy and doesn’t want to bore you with a litany of examples about each point he wishes to make. He just makes his point and moves on. Sometimes you need a book like that. “Zag” focuses on business, but there are some great takeaways for anyone. He makes a ton of great points in the book. I’ll just list a few.

· Brand is not a design and it is not how you want the customers to feel about you. It is how they actually feel about you.

· “Hit it where they ain’t.” – Meaning, find what no one is doing and go do that. And do it well. He expounds on this point a good bit. It’s the thrust of most of the book. Finding your “Zag” is finding the thing that makes you different. This reminds me of a Craig Groshel quote “To reach people no one else is reaching you must do things no one else is doing.”

· “Find a parade and go stand in front of it.” – This the other main point he focuses on. It reminds me of the book “Tribes” by Seth Godin. In its most basic form the point is that with all the new forms of community, there are lots of “tribes” and lots of movements. They are looking for a leader. To lead a brand, you must find where things are going and stand in front. Again, there is a much larger point here, but this is a basic overview.

· “Innovation requires an influx of the naïve.” – This one really stood out to me. Still processing it.