The 6 gaps of a brand
A gap is the distance between two of a brand’s 4 perspectives, measured across the same 12 archetypes, from 0 to 100. ACM Framework has 6 gaps: 4 aim for zero, and the 2 that concern the category norm aim for a band. Each answers a single question about the brand.
The gaps
From the instrument · ACM 1.12 · 18.10.2026 · DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22926708 · proposed translation
- Integrity: Believes ↔ Does — “Does it do what it says?”
- Legibility: Does ↔ Sees — “Is what it does seen?”
- Mirror: Believes ↔ Sees — “Is it seen as it believes itself to be?”
- Promise: Expects ↔ Sees — “Does the client get what they expected?”
- Contrast: Does ↔ Expects — “How different is the behaviour?”
- Boldness: Believes ↔ Expects — “How far does it depart from the norm?”
The thresholds
From the instrument · ACM 1.12 · 18.10.2026 · DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22926708 · proposed translation
Below 15, the gap is small; above 25, it is large. The position gaps have an optimal band: 20 ± 15.
The method and the author
Platform material · not part of the published instrument
All the reference pages describe the same method: how ACM Framework measures a brand’s coherence. The terms are explained in the glossary. The instrument is openly published, with DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22926708, by Dumitru Talmazan.
Frequently asked questions
What is a gap?
The distance between the profiles of two perspectives: the sum of the differences across the 12 archetypes, divided by two. 0 means identical profiles, 100 completely different ones.
Why do some gaps not aim for zero?
Because a brand identical to the category norm is correct, but interchangeable. For position, the instrument requires a measured departure, within a band.