Why Blending in is bad for Business

This is the first edition of Big Thinking?from Brand Basecamp.

In addition to Friday's?Way Out There, every week I’ll serve up some more practical insight, ideas and tips for building your brand.

Here we want to talk about the importance of being distinct as a brand. And to show you that this?just theory, now there is some proven science, so read on read on if:

→ You want to make your marketing more effective.

→ You want a killer chart to steal for your next marketing meeting.

The problem: A wilderness of forgettable marketing

Now imagine you are making the climb up the mountain.?

You’re surrounded by likeminded people (all very lovely might I add). And you’re all wearing practically the same high-vis technical jacket (slightly different brand but all Gortex btw) and you all share the same stories of adventure.

You think that you stand out, but the reality is ultimately you are all the same. This makes you harder to find as you try to climb, and before you know it you’re lost in the wilderness.

Now apply this to your marketing brand explorers, and this is exactly the problem I see for many outdoor, sports and lifestyle brands.?

Too many brands are getting lost in the wilderness, because they aren’t truly distinctive from everyone else.?

And this is making them truly forgettable, which is as we'll see bad for business. ?

Killer chart alert.

As this chart shows, being distinctive is bad for your business.

What you can see is that advertising campaigns deemed to be?highly distinctive and memorable?report higher large effects on all measures of marketing and sales performance; versus campaigns that we’re less distinctive.

Market share growth 24% vs 9%.

Short term response 54% vs 27%.

Brand profit growth 37% vs 5%.

I don’t know about you but this undeniable evidence to why it’s important that your brand find a way to be distinctive.

But how does it work?

Mental & Physical Availability: The Keys to Brand Growth

Uncle (as I like to call him) Byron Sharp (Marketing Professor at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science) and author of How Brands Grow unpacks the importance of distinctiveness through the importance of two factors: ?

1.?Mental Availability: Be the first brand consumers think of. Distinctive assets—like logos, colours, and taglines—create mental shortcuts that make your brand top-of-mind in your category. ?

2.?Physical Availability: If they can’t find you, you lose. Make sure these brand codes are easy to see, access and buy, wherever your customers are—online, in-store, or across key distribution channels.

His research shows that brands grow by being easy to recall and easy to find. Distinctiveness drives both, ensuring you’re not just considered, but the?first?choice consumers make. ?

3 x Steps to Stand Out and Grow

1. Own a Colour, Symbol or character

Think of Coca-Cola’s red or Nike’s swoosh—both instantly recognizable mental triggers. What’s your brand’s visual code? Does it?own?a distinct visual asset?

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2.?Consistency is Key

Yeti is a great example—identity, logo placement and design language is ruthlessly consistent across products and comms. This consistency builds mental availability over time, making the brand top of mind in its category.

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3. Be Everywhere Your Customer Is

Increase physical availability by making sure your brand is where your customers are shopping—both physically and digitally. The more places they can find you, the easier the buying decision becomes.

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Time to Be Distinctive?

Right now, most brands are climbing the same mountain, wearing the same high vis jacket.?

If you want the advantage of being distinct, this is just one of the many things to explore over at our newly launched Brand Basecamp. ?

Where I’m already helping outdoor, sports or lifestyle brand stand out, be remembered, and be easy to find.?

At Brand Basecamp I'll help you access the same tools, frameworks and ideas I've used by when working with brands including?Nike, Absolut, Kit-Kat, Umbro and Wiggle.

To join all you need to do is:

→ Click the?link below

→ Book a?call

→ Discover how Brand Basecamp will help you

PS: The? five founding Members of Brand Basecamp get a 25%. There are only 2 spots left at this rate, so be quick. ?

You could join some of our biggest advocates:

“Working with Neil is like a shot of adrenaline”

Ed Cracknell, Head of Brand, Wiggle,? ?

“My ‘go to’ strategist, Neil makes strategy incredibly simple and forward thinking, and has delivered brilliant strategy work for me across brand positioning, marketing and retail.”

Bhavna Buttan, Former COO, Sun & Sand Sport

About us:

Excursion Studio is a creative partner for outdoor, sports and lifestyle brands. Working with?founders, marketeer or in-house teams looking take a different path to brand growth. Stopping your brand?swimming in a sea of sameness, and helping you take your brand somewhere new.