Posted on Oct 28, 2013

7 Ways to Market with Differentiation

Let’s be clear here. There is no one else exactly the same as you. Even if you have an identical twin, you are different. You are unique. You have the exclusive on being you.

The same is true for brands.

Coke and Pepsi are not the same (no matter what the taste test says).
My Ford F-150 pickup truck is not the same as any other type of pickup (mine is better!).
WordPress is not the same as other content-management systems (there’s a reason it’s #1 for blogging).

There’s a reason millions of people drink Coke, drive F-150 pickup trucks, and blog using WordPress. There is nothing else exactly like them.

So, why do so many marketers continually compare their brands to their competitors?

“If you find a lower price, we’ll beat it by 10%.”
“We carry the same great selection as our competitors.”
“Enjoy all the same benefits for less.”

This is a recipe for failure. Marketing without differentiation is like pouring water into the ocean. It’s meaningless and even a waste of resources.

As a differentiating value, Differentiation means a discrimination between things as different and distinct; specialization.

You might think this is easy for marketers. But unfortunately it is not. In fact, discerning what’s different and distinct about your brand is hard work, especially when you work in the middle of it everyday.

Hopefully this will help.

7 Ways to Market with Differentiation

Here are 7 ways marketers can use differentiation to their advantage:

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your brand. Do a SWOT analysis and determine what makes your brand a great brand. Also be clear where it falls short.
Develop your brand’s differentiating values. Identify and define the top 3 values that make your brand unique (the purpose of this blog!). If you haven’t done it yet, download the free e-book and follow the exercises.
Specialize by Who, What, or How. Choose a category to focus your brand that is based on: 1) a specific type of buyer; 2) a specific type of product or problem to solve; or 3) a unique way to do or deliver your product/solution.
Pinpoint your target market(s). Be crystal clear on who you are targeting and why they would want to buy your brand. The more narrow the defined group the better. And no more than 5 or 6 groups (only 3 or 4 is better).
Determine what the brand is not. Clearly articulate what the brand is not designed to do, and who the brand is not trying to satisfy.
Incorporate your differentiating values into your messaging. Ensure the messaging communicates what makes your brand unique. Consider this terrific example from Guinness.
Celebrate what makes your brand different. Don’t hide it. Flaunt it. A great example of this was when UPS turned a negative quality (their brand color of brown) into a positive with their campaign “What can brown do for you?” (too bad they stopped this campaign).