ZAG: The Number-One Strategy of High-Performance Brands

Checkpoint 7: What Should You Add or Subtract?

One of the most powerful principles in building a brand is focused alignment. Unfortunately, it’s a principle honored more in the breach than in the observance. Why? Because we humans are more adept at adding elements than subtracting them. We LOVE to start new initiatives and build, build, build. We HATE being told “no.” The principle of alignment, by contrast, is best served by extreme focus and self-discipline.

Brand alignment is the practice of linking your business strategy to customer experience—aligning all your company behaviors behind a clearly articulated zag. There should be no leftover parts, no maverick offerings, no contradiction between what you say and what you do. The result of alignment ...