Branding Series

What is a brand? How do we differentiate? Is that important? What exactly is brand differentiation? Is it actually important? How do you do it? Who is doing this well? – Everyone knows that you must differentiate your firm or brand from other competitors. You have to stand out and provide quality services to remain in advantage, but what exactly does that mean? Let’s dive into this and learn how you can best set your brand and company apart!

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“Differentiation has long been a marketing strategy used to separate one particular company from its competition. Differentiation works if it’s based on what appeals to the customer” - John Graham

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Brand differentiation has to be at the forefront of your brand strategy. Your brand needs to be different and unique. Brand differentiation assists in building relationships with a company or an organizations buyers and loyal customers. Overall the focus is on what you can offer your customers while differentiating yourself from similar retailers and companies. Brand differentiation is what ultimately drives your reputation and growth. Throughout this blog series I hope to provide a tactical application of research for readers to learn from.

There are often two or more dominant brands that are marketed for different products. How do brands position themselves in a way that allows them to stand out among other marketers? I chose to look specifically at four various examples to study how these brands differentiate themselves. We will look at:

• Delta vs. Southwest

• Spotify vs. Apple Music

• Netflix vs. Hulu

• Uber vs. Lyft

Delta app

Southwest app

Spotify app

AM logo

netflix app

hulu app 1

lyft app

uber app

While using these examples, we will look at certain topic areas and how they relate to these brands. We will focus specifically on:

• Brand Marketing

• What is their business model? How do they market their brand based on their identity and values as a company? What do they promote, focus on, or put emphasis on? How do they pitch their product and what makes them stand out?

• Social/Digital Media Strategy

• What are the company’s goals and how do they represent this? Is their strategy efficient and successful? What is their main strategy? Who is there intended/target audience? How they reach and attract their target audience? What elements are implemented to make each brand unique?

• Mobile Applications

• Does the company offer a mobile app? Does this save time? Is it more accessible and easier to follow/handle? Does the app deliver what it promises? Is it effective? Look at costs, time management, and usage. Are apps essential?

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The Differentiation Test:

According to Dr. Lee Frederiksen, there are three qualities that every prospective differentiator must have in order to meet what is called the differentiation test.

1. True – Your differentiators have to be grounded in reality.

2. Relevant – If it doesn't matter to your consumers, it doesn’t matter at all.

3. Provable – Anyone can claim they have a quality. Your brand must be able to prove it.

When customers chose a brand they expect some qualities, like good customer service, but what qualities can your brand provide to differentiate you from the basics of doing business?

Your brand must embody qualities that truly matter to customers and potential clients. Click here to read Frederiksen’s list of the 21 top differentiators for brands.

The most successful brands differentiate by connecting with their customers based on what they most value. People attract to brands that stand for something and have a strong set of values that align with their own. Customers who share the values of your brand will tend to stay loyal and true to your brand. People want to have a connection and build trust within a brand that allows them to feel included. Read more about the importance of connecting with individuals on a value level in order to create a powerful brand here.

Successful differentiators must pick one value that they hold above all others. It’s important for your brand to choose their one thing and ask “What do we value?” or “What do we stand for?” and “What’s our purpose?” – your employees and customers opinions should align when asked this question.

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To summarize, your company needs to have a brand story that tells your audiences what makes your brand unique. Ada Polla, the co-creator of the Swiss antioxidant skin care line, Alchimie Forever, tells of valuable lessons she has learned when crafting a brand story. Here are 4 key lessons to set your brand up for success and differentiate it from various competitors:

1. Marketing and branding are a profession, an art, a skill.

2. People’s attention spans are short, so a brand story must be short.

3. In the age of social media and transparency, authenticity is key. Be real, be genuine, be true.

4. A brand story is told in images, colors and other visual elements as much as it is told in words.

Stay tuned to learn more about branding and how to set your brand apart in a competitive market. In the following posts we will look specifically at top brands today and how they remain successful. I hope you follow along and learn a thing or two along the way!