Finding Your Difference
What makes you so special? Chances are your product or service is much like your competitors, so creating a point of difference with your proposition, branding and messaging is vital to the success of your brand. This is what will set you apart in a crowded marketplace.
So, what does make you so special?
This is the question we ask all of our clients when we begin any new branding project - because having a point of difference makes all the difference.
Often referred to as brand differentiation, it’s the process through which a business or organisation can identify itself and communicate its unique set of characteristics and qualities to set it apart from the competition.
Think about it, almost every sector in our world today is saturated. Even the ones you might think have some room to grow. Sunglasses - more than a thousand brands worldwide. Water bottles - over 2000 results on Amazon’s UK site alone. Toothbrushes? The market was valued at USD 6.85 billion in 2021. You get the picture.
And on top of this, as consumers, we all demand way more from brands today. It’s not just about product and price. We want to know what values a brand aligns with and what drives it.
With all this in mind, it’s no wonder brands have to work harder than ever just to get noticed. So discovering what makes you different and then being able to amplify that message/s both visually and verbally across your branding can’t be underestimated. This ‘storytelling’ can only come from knowing why you’re different – note, this is often not just one thing today – and it allows you to connect with your audience in an authentic and meaningful way. Authenticity is everything in our world - look or sound fake and people will see right through you.
Once you have your brand proposition, this can then be distilled into a distinctive brand identity that will communicate all of your values and views to your audience to stand out, connect and become memorable.
So what happens when businesses don’t have (or haven’t identified) their point of difference? Put simply, they will blend right in with everyone else in their sector. The exact opposite of what any brand or business needs. We often refer to this as a ‘sea of same.’ Like wallpaper, you’ll look right past their brands as if they weren’t even there.
Here’s an example. We worked with a leading renewables business to help them create a brand identity for their car chargers. As most car chargers do the same thing and have a fairly generic appearance, we worked with key stakeholders within the business to uncover what makes them different from the competition, so we could take this through to both the design and the tone of voice and messaging. This is where we landed:
Some competitors make beautiful car chargers.
Some make ones easier to install than others.
Some make more affordable models.
But no one does all three.
We make EV charging simple, beautiful, and affordable.
How can we do this when no one else can?
Because, unlike anyone else, we’re powered by 42 years’
experience in renewable and electric energy.
If you’re about to create your brand identity, make sure you start by uncovering what makes you different.
Looking for a brand design agency to help you discover your brand truths, or want to chat all things branding, drop us and let’s talk.
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