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We all believe that our brand and our business are unique, that no one else can do what we do, that we are the only one. But is an obsession with uniqueness necessarily true or even helpful to our business and brand?

We all want our brand to stand out from the crowd, but too often brand management overlooks the fact that we still need to be seen as part of a crowd in order to then stand out from the crowd.

The only way we can stand out from a crowd is by first being seen as part of that crowd.

Part of the distinguishing features of a mark lies in its similarity to other relevant marks. Take Coca-Cola – they sell a carbonated beverage in cans and bottles through various third parties to people using aspirational messages. So does their competition. Just because other brands have similarities doesn’t mean that Coca-Cola should stop displaying those brand features, as they are features people need to know in order to get Coca-Cola in the same “mass” as their competitors bring to.

It’s not just the differences that create your brand identity, but the points of parity as well.

When managing a brand, it’s important not to be obsessed with uniqueness. Not everything your brand does should be unique. It can not be. The brand must first be understood as part of a “crowd” – a set that has certain characteristics that people are interested in. Only once you have defined the set in which your brand exists can you create some level of differentiation to help you stand out.

Part of what defines us is what makes us just like others. This goes for people and the same goes for brands.

Contribution to Branding Strategy Insider by: Paul Bailey, Strategy Director at Halo

At The Blake Project we help clients from all over the world at all stages of development. Redefine and articulate what makes them competitive in critical moments of change through online strategy workshops and extended engagements. Please email us to see how we can help you compete differently.

Brand Strategy Insider is a service from The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in brand research, brand strategy, brand growth and branding

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