Different for different's sake? Or the best path to positioning?

Ah... finding the white space to position your brand away from the competition (or alternatives) is a contentious subject. How differentiated does your brand need to be, to win? Is there such a thing as true differentiation, given very few ideas and propositions today?are genuinely unique? Or for the purists in the room, is brand purpose the only solution? (Not likely, depending on who's interpreting the research on brand purpose by Peter Field and the IPA).?

Here's the thing. There are many kinds of 'different' out there.

You might be different on the basis of your pricing, or perhaps your product or service. The problem with these (even though they can be effective short-term) is that they're easy to replicate. One minute you're the first to market with your colour-changing pet raincoats, and then wallah, every pet shop in the country is spruiking them. And for a cheaper price. Feck.?

Perhaps your brand looks and sounds different. Again, a viable tactic, but without any substance behind your Palm Springs inspired logo and rebellious tone of voice, you can find yourself falling short on your customers' 'meets my needs' scorecard.

And when it comes to brand purpose (and we're not talking about a bunch of?motivational?words on your office wall), for it to actually stick, there needs to be an unwavering, incessant?commitment to executing it through every action, business decision and marketing activation with a budget to match (Patagonia-style people) otherwise what's the actual point?

So what's the best approach, you ask? When we uncover a point of difference for our clients we consider two things: what their competitors are doing (or other barriers to their services); and what their die-hard, most loyal customers LOVE about them (trust us, you can usually uncover the insight and your best attribute simply by having a chinwag with your customers).?

Why? Because good positioning usually taps into a) an unmet customer need, b) a gap in the marketplace,?or c) a better way of doing something. Knowing how your brand makes your customers feel or the emotional motivator that drives their loyalty to you,?can be a powerful foundation to build your brand upon.?Once you work it out, amplify it (through product development, customer experience, culture, etc) and then go and tell the world about it.

It really is that simple.

Are you a marketer, who needs a hand working out your special sauce and positioning? From customer interviews and stakeholder questionnaires, through to mentoring you on the best path to take, our?Retreats?for marketers get it done fast, and to an agency or consultancy standard. Three days, off-the-grid on the Sunny Coast (Qld) to develop your next brand strategy and plan. Get mentored by industry experts, ignite your creativity, inspire your thinking and finish with a tangible outcome, that'll make you look damn good. More?here.