Is it more important to be different or distinctive?
Brands battle daily for attention. Being different isn’t enough – true distinctiveness is the secret sauce. It’s not about standing out at any cost, but about being consistently, recognisably you. Think of it as your brand’s unique style – instantly spot-able in a crowded market.
Branding Before Breakfast Ep 201 Is it more important to be different or distinctive?
Good morning. My name is Kiri, I’m the Business Growth Strategist here at Tiny Hunter. And today I want to talk about the idea of being different versus distinct because quite often in branding, we talk about these two terms quite a bit. We talk about differentiation and being meaningfully different to your competitors. And we talk about the importance of creating a distinctive brand that’s uniquely you and you only. And I think it can get confusing sometimes for brands wondering, what’s more important? Is it more important to be different or to be distinctive? And I think the short answer really is both, you need to be both. But most important is to be distinctive. It’s going to create the most impact and cut through in a busy world. And it is a really, really busy world. Not only now are we competing against our competitors, but brands are competing against life itself and consumers that are walking through a supermarket still thinking about that hectic work meeting they had that day. Or a parent who’s not only are they bombarded with so much choice, but their toddler is trying to rip things off the shelf or open a packet of biscuits. It’s these distractions that pull us away from our ability to focus. And I think that’s where being different will help. Obviously, it’s going to help stand out, but it’s that distinctiveness that creates consistency and trust and familiarity. The best way I can describe distinctiveness is it’s kind of like that friend who has a really unique style and look about them, and you could almost predict what they’re going to show up to an event and you see a jacket in a window and think, “Oh my God, that’s so them.” That’s distinctiveness in action. It’s not that that friend wears really outlandish clothes. It’s just that they have a consistent, recognisable style that’s uniquely them. And I think that that is the difference between being different versus distinctive, is that sometimes being different just for different’s sake can actually be problematic.
So let’s say you are bringing out a new chocolate bar and you’ve done the research and no one else has green packaging, for instance. And so while that’s going to allow you to stand out on the shelf, if you’re just doing it to be different without putting any meaning or seeing if it’s actually relevant to your consumers, do people associate green with deliciousness and indulgence and yumminess, then it can actually be really ineffective. So I think while being different is, it’s absolutely crucial and important. It helps keep brands on their toes, it really helps us innovate. But inevitably, what’s different about you, it’s probably going to be, if it is uniquely different, then that’s great. But inevitably it’s probably going to be copied by somebody else who will soon start doing it and then going to become not so different.
So what’s really important is that you’re putting time and energy into creating a distinctive brand that you become known for and recognised. And so that if someone does come and copy that, it’s really obvious. So yes, it’s important to be different, but not for different’s sake. Make sure that you’re doing something that feels uniquely you. It’s way more important to create a distinctive brand that people know and trust and recognise.
Yeah, that’s it from me, it’s time for brekkie.
Written by: Kiri White
Published: October 10, 2024