Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands

One of the best high-level but still applied and applicable books on marketing I've found is "Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands" by Marty Neumeier. The author writes well, gives usable structure and advice, and walks you through his 17 step process to develop your marketing strategy, from the high level (Who are you?) to the mid-level (What do they call you? your brand name) to the details (What do they experience?). Amazingly, I found that his approach works for both large businesses (his examples), and fledgling web startups (my experience). His experience and enthusiasm also shine through. It's a quick read, but I find I go back to it often to check if my thinking and perspective are where they need to be - that is, taking the end-user's viewpoint.