Brand Flip, The Quotes

“We just go where we want to go, do what we want to do, and become who we want to become. We want to be unique, but we want to be unique in groups. We want to stand out, but we want to stand out together. In the age of easy group-forming, the basic unit of measurement is not the segment but the tribe.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“your mind, not in your hand. It should get you out from the covers and into your projects as fast as possible. And it should reveal its deeper wisdom reading”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“If you can surprise your customer with something more than baseline satisfaction, you’ll spark the kind of emotion that leads to loyalty.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Narrativity is becoming less like a book andmore like a jigsaw puzzle that we put together by making connections and recognizing patterns.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Storyframing is the discipline of building a structure that lets customers create their own narratives. It provides the boundaries that keep the story contained, like the edges of the jigsaw puzzle. The basic framework includes the POV of the company—its purpose, onlyness, and values, plus the IAM of the customer—personal identity, customer aims, and tribal mores. Out of the framework comes a range of encounters, or touchpoints, through which customers can find personal meaning and growth. The job of the company is to keep the framework alive while encouraging and applauding its customers.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Every brand is a running narrative, a story-in-progress whose hero is the customer. If at any point the story splits into two stories aimed at two different tribes, you then have two brands. To keep the narrative together, each new feature, extension, or product use must keep something from the original direction to preserve logical continuity.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“The first thing companies did with computer technology back in the 1980s was to multiply the number of choices for their customers. More colors, more styles, more features, more models, more messages, more channels, more services, more brand extensions, more SKUs. The siren call of “consumer choice” proved impossible for companies to resist. If a little choice was good, they reasoned, more choice was better. Customers loved it. For about 15 minutes. Today their lives are so cluttered by choice that they can barely breathe. Americans now see that a little choice increases their freedom, but too much takes it away. Do you really want to spend three hours learning how to use the features on your new Samsung TV? Or sort through 17 varieties each time you buy Crest toothpaste at the supermarket? Or deal with the 3,000 pages of items shown in Restoration Hardware’s 15-pound set of catalogs? Not if you have a life. Of course, none of us wants to give up this lavish banquet of choice. We just want it off the floor and out of the way. “It’s not information over-load,” media consultant Clay Shirky famously said. “It’s filter failure.” Our brains can’t handle the deluge. We’re desperate for a way to organize, access, and make use of so many options. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos called it “cognitive overhead.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Designing is thinking with your hands. Start with a scribble. See what’s missing, what could be improved, what else it reminds you of. Make more scribbles. Work the best scribbles into low-fidelity prototypes—limited function mockups, models, or experiences that you can test in the real world. The goal isn’t to impress your customers, but to let them impress you with their reactions, knowledge, and insights. Think of design as a rich conversation that brings you closer to the truth of your brand.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Innovation amateurs talk good ideas,” he says. “Innovation experts talk testable hypotheses,” A hypothesis, embodied as a prototype, beats market research because it can be tested. The word prototype comes from the Greek words protos and typos, meaning “first form.” Customers don’t have to imagine how they would feel when they see a prototype. They’re already feeling it. Steve Jobs, although famous for rejecting market research, insisted that Apple designers make and test hundreds of prototypes before deciding on the final form of a new product.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Does design pay off? The Design Management Institute partnered with Motiv Strategies to measure the return on design investment where it counts—in stock values. Over a 10-year period, a $10,000 investment in design-centric companies would have yielded returns 228 percent greater than the same investment in the S&P 500. And this is only an average.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Marketing psychologist Kit Yarrow notes that customers want five things from a purchasing decision: 1) to feel more in control, 2) to reduce the fear of making a mistake, 3) to simplify the decision process, 4) to offer clear and immediate emotional benefits, and 5) to be free of obstacles. Of these five, she says, customer control is the best “antidote to anxiety.” Anxiety goes far to explain the extraordinary power of customer reviews.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“The founders of Method agree that it’s counter-productive to outsource customer calls to India. “The customer has actually used your product. This isn’t just a marketing opportunity; it’s a chance to capture new insights, create a raving fan, and even safeguard yourself from legal problems.” Customer calls can be turned into what the Academy of Marketing Science calls “transcendent customer experiences”—emotional encounters that generate lasting shifts in beliefs and attitudes, and sometimes even self-transformation.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Here’s how the Ritz looks at touchpoints, as written in the company’s credo: “The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Caution: When staking out your onlyness, remember that whatever seems unique to you may not seem unique to everyone else. you’re viewing your product close up, while they’re seeing it from farther away. Make sure your product is not just unique, but really unique. Crank up the onlyness to eleven. Make it incredibly easy for customers to notice it, choose it, and share it with friends. Don’t compete. Differentiate.”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it

“Here’s a simple (but headache-producing) test. Complete the following sentence: “Our brand is the only ⸏ that ⸏.” In the first blank, put the name of your category (robotics company, online university, fast-food chain). In the second blank put your key differentiator (sells voice-mimicking parrots, makes you the teacher, caters to vegans).”
― Marty Neumeier, Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it