Define your brand by what you’re not
Our first instinct is to tell everyone who and what we are. The assumption is that people will see the uniqueness and value in that. But in today’s world, there are really only two ways to truly separate yourself:
Have a true point of differentiation - this is something that is arrestingly unique. And defendable. Unfortunately, it is also very rare for a brand to have something this pure. And even when it does, the speed of innovation allows competitors to quickly spin up alternatives.
Have a boatload of money - some companies can fund an all-out assault, pummeling us with messaging until they create brand preference by sheer brand ubiquity. Needless to say, very few of us have that boatload moored nearby.
This is why smart brand strategy is so important today. A well-conceived and positioned brand can help you earn a place in the heads of those you hope to serve. And if you do it exceptionally well, you can move into their hearts.
Am not.
Becoming that special brand sometimes requires changing the way you portray yourself. That can be difficult because you may have worked very hard to define who you are. But if you want radical results, it’s going to take something a bit, well, radical.
Like no longer talking about who and what you are. And instead, talking about what you’re not.
Sounds a bit confusing, right? Well, hang with me.
Years ago, 7-Up was trying to gain recognition in a category that was dominated by colas (Coke and Pepsi). That meant doing battle with titans in the marketplace. Outspending them was not an alternative. In fact, just matching their spend was probably out of the question for a smaller brand.
So how did 7-Up gain mindshare in this tough situation? Well, it wasn’t by touting how much better a lemon-lime soft drink was. They did something bolder. They positioned by what they were not. As a result, they became “The Uncola”. The fact that I remember that to this day is a testament to the power of that strategy.
Another example is Oldsmobile. At one point, the automaker was struggling with an outdated image. I have to give the brand credit for not trying to ignore the fact that it had a problem. In an effort to change perceptions, it positioned against what it was not. The result was the theme “Not your father’s Oldsmobile”.
From a branding standpoint, that was an interesting move. Acknowledge you have a weakness and use it to create a springboard to a new perception. The trouble was that the cars really weren’t that impressively different. Which goes to prove the age-old point – nothing kills a mediocre product like good branding.
In each of these examples, the brands were helping people understand what made them special by giving a recognizable point of reference – “We’re not (INSERT DOMINANT COMPETITOR OR PERCEPTION)”. This works especially well if you are in a market where the leader (or leaders) has wide recognition.
Can you use this to set your brand apart? Here’s a way to find out. Get a sheet of paper or a whiteboard and draw a line down the middle. On the left, write down everything you are. List what makes you unique and valuable. On the right, write down what you are not. Make a point to identify those things about your competitors that turn off people – like, “An impersonal behemoth.” Or highlight the parity in the marketplace (“Another me-too widget maker.”)
Look at those answers on the right. Is there a compelling way to portray your brand by what you are not? Does it line up with everything that you are that you listed on the left? Congratulations. You may have just invented a brand position that is a radical departure from everyone else in the widget-making industry.
Okay, seriously. This will give you a new point of view. At the very least, it may help you understand a bit better how the market thinks about you. So give the exercise a try. Because sometimes getting people to think about what we are requires surprising them with what we are not.