a branding exercise : the onliness statement...what's your ZAG?
One exercise every business needs to do when developing their brand: create a Onliness Statement.
WHAT IS AN ONLINESS STATEMENT?
Think of it as a longer version of your elevator pitch.
It is made up of a formula that includes the What, How, Who, Where, Why and When of your business, and all put together makes up what makes you different to your competitors.
The Onliness Statement concept was originally developed by Marty Neumeier in his brand strategy book, 'Zag'.
In an age of me-too products and instant communication, keeping up with the competition isn’t a winning strategy. Today you have to out-position, out-maneuver, and out-design them. Discover radical differentiation—the number one strategy of high-performance brands. The new rule? When everybody zigs, zag. Traditional differentiation is no longer enough—today companies need “radical differentiation” to create lasting value for their customers.
Branding isn't just about your logo design and the look of your website; it's much more than that. Your brand is the essence and values of your company. Anyone currently building a brand should take the time to do the Onliness Statement exercise. It's a great way to tap into the core message of your brand, and find your positioning statement.
HOW DO I WRITE MY ONLINESS STATEMENT?
To create an “onliness statement,” six components must be defined:
What: the only (category)
How: that (differentiation characteristic)
Who: for (customer)
Where: in (market geography)
Why: who (customer need statement)
When: during (underlying trend)
Example: An Instagram scheduling app
What: The ONLY social media scheduling app
How: that provides automatic Instagram post scheduling
Who: for busy social media managers
Where: worldwide
Why: who want the ease of automatic scheduling
When: in an era of digital automation
To compete in a fast-moving market you need "new practices"—inventive solutions that align with your onliness, that underscore your differentiation, and drive you forward. So, tell us....what's your ZAG?
