Every powerful brand owns a specific idea. Neumeier pushes you to answer: What makes you the only? The sharper the answer, the clearer your brand’s role in the market. “What do you offer that nobody else does? That’s your onlyness.”

Find Your "Onlyness"

Perception lives in the minds of others. A brand is not your logo, tagline, or vision statement—it’s the gut feeling people get when they interact with you. “A brand is not what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.”

Your Brand Isn't What You Say--It's What They Say

Not everyone should love you. Great brands polarize. Define what you stand against as clearly as what you stand for. It sharpens identity and deepens loyalty. “To be loved by some, you must risk being disliked by others.”

Your Brand Need Enemies

Zag is a bold call to build brands that are radically different, not slightly better. Marty Neumeier teaches that true brand power comes from clarity, simplicity, and courage. By owning your “onlyness,” serving a focused tribe, and aligning design with purpose, you don’t just market—you lead. If you’re tired of blending in, Zag hands you the playbook for standing out.

Branding starts with culture. Employees must live the zag before customers believe it. Internal alignment amplifies external clarity. “You can’t build a strong brand externally if your team doesn’t live it internally.”

Zag Internally Before Externally

Design isn’t decoration—it’s differentiation. Visual identity, UX, and storytelling must align with your zag to deliver a unified experience. “Design is the best way to differentiate products in a crowded marketplace.”

Design Is A Business Tool

In a crowded market, being different is better than being better. “Zag” is the art of building a brand so distinct that it has no substitute. Don’t incrementally improve—leap sideways. “When everybody zigs, zag.”

Zag Means Radical Differetiation

Clarity trumps cleverness. A brand should be understood in five seconds, not fifty. Strip away complexity until only the essence remains. “If you can’t explain your brand in 12 words or less, it’s too complicated.”

Simplicity Is Strategy

Mass appeal dilutes meaning. Instead, build for a specific, passionate tribe who will champion your brand. Virality starts with devotion, not reach. “Don’t chase everyone. Find your believers and build from there.”

Focus on the Tribe, Not the Masses

Differentiation isn’t a one-time act—it’s an ongoing practice. Stay sharp, self-aware, and ready to evolve while never compromising the core zag. “The moment you stop zagging, you risk becoming invisible again.”

Zag is a Lifelong Commitment

Charismatic brands are not just recognized—they’re loved. They stand for something, evoke emotion, and become a shorthand in people’s lives. Think Apple, Harley-Davidson, or Patagonia. “A charismatic brand can command a premium, foster loyalty, and inspire evangelism.”

Build a Charismatic Brand

When others zig, you zag. This is how standout brands carve bold, lasting identities.

"When everybody zigs, zag," says Marty Neumeier in this fresh view of brand strategy. ZAG follows the ultra-clear "whiteboard overview" style of the author’s first book, THE BRAND GAP, but drills deeper into the question of how brands can harness the power of differentiation. The author argues that in an extremely cluttered marketplace, traditional differentiation is no longer enough—today companies need “radical differentiation” to create lasting value for their shareholders and customers. In an entertaining 3-hour read you’ll learn: - why me-too brands are doomed to fail - how to "read" customer feedback on new products and messages - the 17 steps for designing “difference” into your brand - how to turn your brand’s “onliness” into a “trueline” to drive synergy - the secrets of naming products, services, and companies - the four deadly dangers faced by brand portfolios - how to “stretch” your brand without breaking it - how to succeed at all three stages of the competition cycle From the back cover: In an age of me-too products and instant communications, keeping up with the competition is no longer a winning strategy. Today you have to out-position, out-maneuver, and out-design the competition. The new rule? When everybody zigs, zag. In his first book, THE BRAND GAP, Neumeier showed companies how to bridge the distance between business strategy and design. In ZAG, he illustrates the number-one strategy of high-performance brands—radical differentiation. ZAG is an AIGA Design Press book, published under Peachpit's New Riders imprint in partnership with AIGA. For a quick peek inside ZAG, go to www.zagbook.com.