December 6, 2010

When everyone else Zigs, how do you Zag?

We have yet to work for a client who says, “We want to be like everyone else in our industry. Could you make our website/brochure/logo look as plain as the next guy, please?” No way. In the initial project meeting, every client states that they want to be represented by what makes them unique and for the fresh perspective that they bring to their customers. But as the projects unfold, most clients find it incredibly difficult to break away from what is considered the norm in their industry. They don’t want to be too different, it turns out – don’t want to “go too crazy.”

If you read our post on The Brand Gap or even had a chance to check out the online presentation you can see the core elements that make up a brand. Our guru, Marty Neumeier, writes in his first book about the five disciplines within a “charismatic brand”: Differentiate, Collaborate, Innovate, Validate, and Cultivate. He focused his second book around what we believe is the most important feature for any brand: Differentiate. And not just, as he puts it, “Differentiation. But, Radical Differentiation.”

His message to anyone wanting to stake a claim for their brand in the competitive waters of any industry is to make yourself stand out. Really. Totally. Thoughtfully. Be different.

Can you identify the following companies through their differentiating approach to their business?
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Example A:
There is a motorcyle company that makes “manly” bikes for macho men or women who feel the need to join a gang when their personal freedom is being threatened.
See the answer.
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Example B:
There is a fruity computer company that takes tremendous pride in its easy-to-use products that invite people to pick them up and give them a whirl whenever the rest of the world seems just a bit too overwhelming.
See the answer.
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Example C:
There is an discount, coupon website that offers pretty sweet deals to people within the community by harnessing their group buying power in an economic era that leaves a lot to be desired.
See the answer.

So were you able to figure out each of the examples? If you were (and we are pretty confident that you were), it is because they work really hard to differentiate themselves from everyone else in the market. Each one of those companies, made a conscious decision at some point in their history to break away from the expected and pave their own path. And as our guru Marty puts it, the best way to get noticed is to Zag when everyone around you Zigs.

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If you want to read more about how to “Zag”, you can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

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Categories: Book Review | Branding