Brand positioning: How to stand out from the crowd.
It’s a busy and crowded world out there, and with more purpose-driven organisations hitting the market than ever, it’s never been tougher to stand out and get your voice heard.
It’s great to see so many people are starting and becoming social enterprises - in fact, 1 in 4 people who want to start a business say that they want to become a social enterprise, so this shows there is a great appetite for people want to do good, and also buy from those who do.
We are also seeing a shift in established businesses and larger corporations as they move towards a more ethical way of operating. Whether some of these larger corporations can truly call themselves ethical and sustainable is questionable, but there is no doubt that they are beginning to market themselves as such to cash in on the green movements as they identify an increasingly ethical audience.
What does this all mean?
It means the space in which we occupy is becoming ever more crowded and the ‘uniqueness’ of our organisations are at risk of being diluted. There will come a time, quite soon I think, that being the most sustainable or ethical option on the market might not be enough to keep us ahead. We need a fresh angle, and we need to stand out if we are to make a positive impact.
Whilst I don’t like using the word “competitor” to describe other ethical and sustainable organisations because a lot of us have shared values and goals, but it’s important to understand your place in this ‘ethical landscape’ or the industry in which you’re playing, so you can effectively reach the people who most need what it is you’re doing. And if you have a successful and profitable social enterprise, that uses those profits for good, you’ll be able to make a bigger impact than if you didn’t invest in this process and make a loss.
So, how do we distinguish ourselves in a market that is becoming increasingly saturated?
Luckily for you, no organisation or business is truly unique. Yes, there will always be others doing the same thing as you, to some degree, and that’s ok. What is important is to understand that whilst your product or service offering may not be 100% unique, there are a great deal of elements behind the scenes that make you and your brand different - and sometimes better - than the competition.
Strategic Brand Positioning.
Same cause. Difference story.
I’d like to use the example of two excellent charities that are doing extraordinary work; Cancer Research UK, and Macmillan Cancer Support.
They’re both large national charities, both organisations have an admirable shared goal of tackling cancer, and they both operate with fundraising activities that cut through demographics and reach supporters on an individual and corporate level.
Whilst they are both cancer charities, they differ in their objectives. Cancer Research UK is on a mission to eradicate cancer, whereas Macmillan exists to support people living with the disease; offering palliative care as well as post-cancer support. And these missions are linked yet quite different, and it is quite clear in their brand message, tone of voice, and visual identities. And I think we can learn a lot from them.
Cancer Research UK is on a national/global mission to beat cancer. They are looking at the big picture. They’re very much about empowering the individual supporters to act, take part, run, and fundraise in a way that feels like we are participating in something greater than ourselves and contributing to a global movement.
The name itself is clear, to the point, and almost clinical in its approach. This clinical approach is reflected in their logo and visual identity, as the letter C is made up of a series of coloured dots, possibly cells, and has a very scientific feel to it.
Overall, the Cancer Research UK brand is:
Empowering, by their approach to fundraising and challenging supporters to join their sponsored runs
Science-led, not only in their mission but in their logo and visual identity
Clearly on a global mission.
Macmillan Cancer Support however has a quite different approach. Macmillan have crafted their approach to feel gentler, more human, softer. Their fundraising activities may attract a roughly similar demographic - an unfortunate fact that most of us are affected by cancer at some point in our lives - however, their approach is much slower paced and more community driven. They organise coffee morning, cake sales, and other fundraising activities that have a smaller and kinder feel.
And once again, this is represented well in their visual identity. Their logotype (a font-based logo) is a distinctly rounded, soft, and almost rustic design. The lettering feels hand-made, or paper cut. It is far from slick, and feels very approachable.
Overall, the Macmillan brand is:
Caring and warm
Very human in the sense that it isn’t overtly science-led
Person-centred in their approach and appearance.
They may share the same fundamental goal as Cancer Research UK, in hoping to beat cancer, but they come at it from the individual level.
Where would you put each of these charities on this spectrum, and why?
Now I’d like to use another example to examine two other brands you may have heard of, who are in the same market place but have very different brand positionings.
Very different approaches.
I’d like to use another example to examine two other brands you may have heard of…
On paper, Apple and Dell are pretty similar. They both manufacture computer hardware (primarily), and sell direct to consumers as well as B2B. They have both been operating for many years. But they each have a very different approach to the way the operate, how they produce their products, and how the market themselves.
Now I’m going to assume you’re quite familiar with these brands, so I don’t need to explain too much. But I think we can learn a lot from each example here. Both these brands sell hardware and computer equipment, on paper they’re quite similar, but they really couldn’t be more different when it comes to the brand perception and marketing.
We all know how Apple want to be perceived. They’ve spend millions on marketing and telling their compelling brand story, capitalising on their charismatic founder and the fact that they “think differently”. Whilst a lot of this is marketing spin, it must be said that the way they approach their product designs are truly different to other computer/hardware manufacturers. They have successfully baked their brand story into the products they make.
Apple as a brand are perceived as innovative and extremely cool, they’re a lifestyle brand more than company that sells functional tools. And they are expensive - an approach they have made work for them. Yes, you’ll likely pay double for an Apple product, but this instils the perception of quality - because they’ve told you that they’re “the best”, they’ve shown you that they “think differently” by repackaging, re-marketing, and reinventing other tech products you’ve seen before and they focus on the outcome and the lifestyle you buy into over the specifications of the hardware of the tech you’re physically buying.
Overall, Apple have branded themselves to be:
Innovating
A lifestyle brand
Expensive - and all the better for it!
Where would to pin Apple and Dell on this spectrum? And in what ways to the prove their position through their marketing and branding?
Dell on the other hand have created a brand that is far more functional, business-like, and have an ‘established’ feel. They’re not innovating or changing the world, they simple provide good quality computers and a business service that we hope to rely on. We know that we’re buying a computer, we don’t really care about the history of the company or the founders, and we expect a fair price to get something to help us get our work done.
There is nothing wrong with Dell’s approach, but it’s interesting to compare these two examples and see how a powerful brand story and investing in an innovative marketing angle that goes against conventional wisdom has not only inspired Apple to develop products and software that are very appealing, but they’ve managed to position themselves to be seen as expensive in a good way.
Overall, Dell have branded themselves to be:
Functional
Everyday and practical - a business solution
Affordable
As a purpose-over-profit brand, you’re not all about the money - but it’s important to understand how valuable your brand can be as an asset in generating income to help you do good work. So this chart below shows effective a brand strategy can be in differentiating yourself from the competition so you create a unique and compelling brand voice that cuts through the noise and connects with the people who need you most.
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