Neumeier began his career as a graphic designer and copywriter in Southern California in the early 1970s, then moved to Northern California in the early 1980s to focus on brand design for technology clients. By the middle 1990s, his firm had developed hundreds of brand icons, retail packages, and other communications for companies such as Apple Computer, Adobe Systems, Netscape Communications, Eastman Kodak, and Hewlett-Packard. During his first 25 years as a design practitioner, Neumeier won hundreds of awards for design excellence, and his writing appeared regularly in trade journals and design publications.
In 1996 he launched CRITIQUE, the magazine of graphic design thinking, which quickly became the leading forum for improving design effectiveness. In editing CRITIQUE, Neumeier joined the conversation about how to bridge the gap between strategy and design, which led directly to the formation of Neutron and the ideas in THE BRAND GAP.
Today Neumeier lives with his wife in Palo Alto, California. He has tried to develop a hobby or sports addiction—if only to seem more interesting—but so far has found nothing to equal the thrill of simply working with imaginative people every day. Both inside and outside Neutron, Neumeier is a frequent speaker on design, brand, and creative collaboration. You can reach him at [email protected].
Index
A
AAKER, DAVID 46
ADLER, STELLA 136
AESTHETICS
AND DIFFERENTIATION 34-35
IMPORTANCE OF 19
OF WEB SITES 96-99
ARISTOTLE 88
AUDIENCE RESEARCH. SEE VALIDATION
AVATARS 87-89
B
BAUTISTA, STEVE 118
BERRA, YOGI 111
BRAND
DEFINITION OF 1-3, 146, 149
IMPORTANCE OF 8
PROTECTING 140-141
WORTH OF 12, 150
BRAND AGENCY COLLABORATION
MODEL 56
BRAND EXTENSIONS 46-47
BRAND MANAGEMENT
CHARISMATIC BRANDS 18-19
COLLABORATION 51-52
BRAND AGENCY MODEL 56
INTEGRATED MARKETING TEAM MODEL 58, 142-145
NETWORK ORGANIZATION MODEL (“HOLLYWOOD MODEL”) 62-66
ONE-STOP SHOP MODEL 54-56
PROTOTYPES 68-69
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 151-153
COMPONENTS OF 14-15
CULTIVATION
ADVANTAGES OF 146
BRAND AS COMPASS 138-139
CBOS (CHIEF BRANDING OFFICERS) 142-145
COLLABORATION 136
LIVING BRANDS 133-135
PROTECTING THE BRAND 140-141
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 155-157
DEFINITION OF 2-3
DIFFERENTIATION
AND AESTHETICS 34-35
BRAND EXTENSIONS 46-47
CONSUMER-CENTRIC MARKETING 38-39
FOCUS, IMPORTANCE OF 44-45
GLOBALISM VERSUS TRIBALISM 40-41
QUESTIONS TO ASK 31-33
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 150-151
INNOVATION 73-74
CREATIVITY 76-77
FEAR OF 80-81
ICONS AND AVATARS 87-89
NAMES, CRITERIA FOR 82-85
PACKAGING, 90-91, 94-95
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 153-154
WEB SITE AESTHETICS 96-99
TRUST, IMPORTANCE OF 10-11
VALIDATION
COMMUNICATION MODELS 101-103
CONCEPT TESTS 118-121
CRITERIA FOR 126-127
FIELD TESTS 124-125
FOCUS GROUPS 110-111
MARKET RESEARCH, AVERSION TO 106-107
PERSONAL PREFERENCES 105
QUANTITATIVE STUDIES 112-113
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 154-155
SWAP TESTS 114-115
C
CBOS (CHIEF BRANDING OFFICERS) 142-145
CHARISMATIC BRANDS 18-19
COGNITIVE SYSTEM AND DIFFERENTIATION 34-35
COLLABORATION 51-52
BRAND AGENCY MODEL 56
INTEGRATED MARKETING TEAM MODEL 58, 142-145
FOR LIVING BRANDS 136
NETWORK ORGANIZATION MODEL (“HOLLYWOOD MODEL”) 62-66
ONE-STOP SHOP MODEL 54-56
PROTOTYPES 68-69
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 151-153
COMMUNICATION MODELS 101-103
COMPASS, BRAND AS 138-139
CONCEPT TESTS 118-119
CONSUMER-CENTRIC MARKETING 38-39
CORPORATE IDENTITY SYSTEMS,
DEFINITION OF 1-2
COWARD, NOEL 66
CREATIVITY 76-77
AS COMPONENT OF BRAND MANAGEMENT 15
CULTIVATION
ADVANTAGES OF 146
BRAND AS COMPASS 138-139
CBOS (CHIEF BRANDING OFFICERS) 142-145
COLLABORATION 136
LIVING BRANDS 133-135
PROTECTING THE BRAND 140-141
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 155-157
CURRENCY, AS EXAMPLE OF TRUST 10-11
D
DE BONO, EDWARD 38-39
DEPTH (VALIDATION CRITERIA) 127
DESIGN, GOALS OF 35
DIFFERENTIATION
AND AESTHETICS 34-35
BRAND EXTENSIONS 46-47
CONSUMER-CENTRIC MARKETING 38-39
FOCUS, IMPORTANCE OF 44-45
GLOBALISM VERSUS TRIBALISM 40-41
QUESTIONS TO ASK 31-33
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 150-151
DISTINCTIVENESS (VALIDATION CRITERIA) 126
DOLLAR VALUE. SEE WORTH OF BRANDS
DRUCKER, PETER 52
E
ETHNOGRAPHY 111
EXTENDIBILITY (VALIDATION CRITERIA) 127
F
FEAR OF INNOVATION 80-81
FEEDBACK 102-103
FIELD TESTS 124-125
FOCUS, IMPORTANCE OF 44-45
FOCUS GROUPS 110-111
FORD, HENRY 107
FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN 74
G
GALLE, GREG 31
GLOBALISM VERSUS TRIBALISM 40-41
GUT FEELINGS, DEFINITION OF 2
H
HAND TESTS 115
HAWTHORNE EFFECT 110
“HOLLYWOOD” MODEL (NETWORK ORGANIZATION MODEL) 62-66
I
ICONS 87-89
INNOVATION 73-74
CREATIVITY 76-77
FEAR OF 80-81
ICONS AND AVATARS 87-89
NAMES, CRITERIA FOR 82-85
PACKAGING 90-91, 94-95
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 153-154
WEBSITE AESTHETICS 96-99
INTEGRATED MARKETING TEAM
COLLABORATION MODEL 58, 142-145
J
JACOBS, JANE 51
K
KAWASAKI, GUY 133
KELLEY, TOM 68
L
LIVING BRANDS 133-135
COLLABORATION 136
AS COMPASS 138-139
PROTECTING 140-141
LOEWY, RAYMOND 76
LOGOS, DEFINITION OF 1
M
MARKET RESEARCH, AVERSION TO 106-107. SEE ALSO VALIDATION
MARKETING. SEE ALSO BRAND MANAGEMENT
CONSUMER-CENTRIC MARKETING 38-39
SHIFT IN GOALS OF 38-39
MCLUHAN, MARSHALL 40
MEMORABILITY (VALIDATION CRITERIA) 126
MORITA, AKIO 106
N
NAMES, CRITERIA FOR 82-85
NATURAL READING SEQUENCE
AND PACKAGING 91, 94-95
AND WEB SITES 96-99
NETWORK ORGANIZATION MODEL
(“HOLLYWOOD MODEL”) 62-66
O
OGILVY, DAVID 94
ONE-STOP SHOP COLLABORATION
MODEL 54-56
ORIGINALITY. SEE CREATIVITY
OUTSOURCING COLLABORATION MODELS
BRAND AGENCY MODEL 56
ONE-STOP SHOP MODEL 54-56
P
PACKAGING 90-91, 94-95
PERSONAL PREFERENCES (TESTING DESIGNS) 10
5
PRODUCTS, SELECTING (IMPORTANCE OF BRAND) 8
PROTECTING THE BRAND 140-141
PROTOTYPES 68-69
CONCEPT TESTS 118-121
FIELD TESTS 124-125
Q
QUANTITATIVE STUDIES
(MARKET RESEARCH) 112-113
R
RATIONAL THINKING 73
READING SEQUENCE
AND PACKAGING 91, 94-95
AND WEB SITES 96-99
RELEVANCE (VALIDATION CRITERIA) 126
ROCKRISE, SUSAN 142
S
SELECTING PRODUCTS
IMPORTANCE OF BRAND 8
SHAW, GEORGE BERNARD 82
SPECIALIZATION 45
STRATEGY, AS COMPONENT OF BRAND MANAGEMENT 15
SWAP TESTS 114-115
T
TESTING. SEE VALIDATION
TRADEMARKS, DEFINITION OF 1
TRIBALISM VERSUS GLOBALISM 40-41
TROUT, JACK 47
TRUST, IMPORTANCE OF 10-11
V
VALIDATION
COMMUNICATION MODELS 101-103
CONCEPT TESTS 118-121
CRITERIA FOR 126
FIELD TESTS 124-125
FOCUS GROUPS 110-111
MARKET RESEARCH, AVERSION TO 106-107
PERSONAL PREFERENCES 105
QUANTITATIVE STUDIES 112-113
SUMMARY OF CONCEPTS 154-155
SWAP TESTS 114-115
VALUATION. SEE WORTH OF BRANDS
VISUAL SYSTEM AND DIFFERENTIATION 34-35
W
WEBSITE AESTHETICS 96-99
WORTH OF BRANDS 12, 150
Z
ZEISS, CARL 84
The Brand Gap Page 9