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Brand Authenticity: Why Differentiation Is A Game Changer

Forbes Agency Council
Goran Paunovic

In today's increasingly competitive marketplace, a brand’s point of view must be distilled to the clearest message possible to gain the attention of its target market. Brands must stand out not only by being different but by being authentic. By individualizing yourself from the competition in a way that’s relevant to your target customers, you can create advocates, establishing credibility and ultimately increasing your loyalty aspect and market status.

When brands approach our agency, for instance, our design and strategy teams begin a process of assessment by exploring what makes the brand potentially outstanding. When designed and marketed in a consistent and brand aligning way, this stand-out aspect -- the differentiator -- is what will attract an audience, garner attention and lead to conversion opportunities.

What Is A Differentiator Made Of?

• Relevancy: One of the most basic, yet critical aspects of differentiation. Is your brand offering a meaningful and useful solution to customers? If so, are you evoking emotion and connection that will support growth?

• Authenticity: Knowing your brand inside and out is essential to delivering an honest and trustworthy voice and perspective that your audience can connect to.

• Proof: Through research, data and analysis, your brand or strategy team must have a thorough understanding of the competitive landscape to make a convincing case that your product, service or perspective is superior for its intended purpose.

Brand differentiation may not be obviously connected to the bottom line of a company's balance sheet, but it’s crucial to develop a brand that stands out from the crowd. When these qualities are well-represented, customers will take note. So much so that they are willing to pay up to 16% more for a product or service that leverages its differentiation to offer a better customer experience.

Designed With Purpose

When embarking on a new branding project, clients often tell us what they think their differentiator is, but to their surprise, they have yet to identify their true differentiation point. Brand differentiation isn’t something that is found, it's something that is created. This begins with discovering what makes a brand relevant and continuing to highlight and focus on the supporting aspects and emotions that will solidify those points.

In building a differentiation strategy, certain qualities should emerge as the sole options for what customers want and need. Here are five elements that must be present to ensure your brand’s differentiator shines through to the marketplace.

1. Create An Experience 

Many consumers today are looking to be brand advocates, and this can only be accomplished by creating an immersive experience. Through positive interactions, interactive campaigns and consistent branding, you can become memorable and highly relevant to consumers and the overall market. Your company can accomplish this through design, data collection and personalization to deliver more impactful touch points.

2. Stay Fresh 

Advanced technology, features or a very different look and feel can be powerful differentiators. Newness -- whether a new brand entirely or a single product launch within a larger brand -- can do wonders for keeping customers curious and generating buzz. Identify something that may not have been done before and customers will notice.

3. Offer A Solution

Many consumers purchase a product or service because they have a problem they're looking to solve. In order to be truly successful, you must identify a problem consumers have that is simple but tough to solve on their own, inspiring and empowering the market. Then, enter your expertise and skills. Problem-solving also works to nurture trust and loyalty with consumers, creating a better chance for long-term advocacy.

4. Be A Know-It-All

Credibility is essential when a brand is fighting to become a leader in the market. Focusing on expertise, knowledge and customer experience can draw consumers to your brand and position your company as the best-in-class option. Testimonials, explainer videos, high-quality content and informational packaging are ideal delivery methods to express this leadership perspective. After all, knowledge is power.

5. Show Your Status

Becoming an iconic brand takes time and consistency, but that doesn’t mean your company can’t start acting like one out of the gate. Consistency, perseverance and connection with your target market’s culture are essential to becoming the "go-to," undisputed brand for the job.

A Top-Down Approach

It's important to note that differentiation should be implemented by the whole organization. A recent article from Harvard Business Review mentions, "The most effective companies don’t rely on distinctive products, services or brand for differentiation; instead, they focus on creating an enterprise so distinctive that it can create many products, services and brands, each more compelling than the next."

It can be argued that the only way a brand can truly become successful is through a smart differentiation strategy, and depending on your company’s capabilities, offerings and the competitive landscape, there are many pathways to differentiation. Going far beyond visuals, a common quality that successful differentiation strategies share is a deep understanding of what the customer needs -- and that's what makes them go the distance.


