How marketing can help position brands as meaningfully different

Published October 29, 2013 at 12:53 pm

Imagine entering a room full of objects that are all the same size, color and shape — except for one that looks different from all the rest. Wouldn’t you be inherently drawn to the object that has its own unique characteristics? Wouldn’t it command your attention and leave you wanting to know more?

As Harvard Business Review (HBR) puts it, “people are predisposed to choose things that stand out from the crowd.” This sentiment is important for brands to keep in mind. However, just being different isn’t enough. Brands must strive to be meaningfully different.

“People have always been attracted to brands with meaning, whether their experience of that meaning is tangible and functional or more of an emotional nature,” states HBR. “Meaning drives volume; brands that stand for something meaningful and different in customers’ minds can generate five times more purchases than less meaningful brands.”

So, how can marketers create meaningfully difference experiences to help brands achieve impressive results? HBR offers a few suggestions:

• Focus on the aspects of the brand that set it apart from its competitors
• Improve salience by making it clear what the brand stands for
• Influence the parts of the brand that consumers experience.

By positioning themselves with the above strategies in mind, brands have the opportunity to draw in a loyal and enthusiastic customer base and grow their business with the help of the authentic connections they forge with consumers. Next time you’re brainstorming marketing business ideas, ask yourself what makes your brand meaningfully different and figure out how you can communicate this to the world.