If I told you I was the best driver in the world, what would you think?

 

How about the best barbecuer… The best DIYer… The best dog walker? You’d most likely either dismiss it as a blanket statement without any real meaning or, if I said it with enough conviction, involuntarily tilt your head to one side, narrow your eyes, and consider the possibility that I might be stoned.

 

Still, there’s an instinct most brand leaders share: They feel the best path to a sale is by informing potential customers of how much better they are than their competitors... The best, even.

 

If anything, being better is a learned affirmation rather than a proclamation. Claiming you’re better is not how you achieve sustainability, especially when you’re new or newer to the marketplace.

 

People rarely take the time to compare deeply enough and verify which brands are better. Therefore, such statements come off as white noise. Primarily because the term has been incredibly overused, but also because it relies on user validation. Building a brand based on being “better” is an attempt to secure a spot at the top, but more significantly, it's a race to the bottom; and a short-lived one at that. Since it’s impossible to consistently outperform every competitor in perpetuity.

 

When you’re trying to emerge in an existing market it’s more productive to create a different category over trying to fit into the competition's. Creating your category allows you to, by default, be different. Differentiation is memorable, ownable, and sustainable. Different stands out.

 

Additionally, “different” means instant recognition. People are wired to notice novelty. Therefore, a brand that positions itself uniquely (visually, tonally, functionally) is more likely to be remembered when the time for such a brand’s product and/or service is needed. Over time, whether you’re better or not, which is highly subjective, will be discovered and determined by your customers; but it won’t be the only reason why they keep coming back. Rather, it’s the emotional connection that being different instills which heavily influences repeat engagement.

 

Unique stories, values, and/or aesthetics create emotional resonance. These things build brand equity and encourage customer advocacy. When carefully considered for every consumer touchpoint and/or brand engagement, these efforts build an emotional connection which is far more powerful than rational product comparisons.

 

Competing on “different” means developing a distinct identity and attracting loyal fans, even if you're not objectively "better." Competitors can catch up to “better” while a truly different brand position, personality, and culture is difficult to replicate since it's baked into who you are.

 

Being better is a moving target while being different is a strategic decision. So, the next time you have the urge to express how much better you are, even if it is true, curb that notion and start building through differentiation. Those are the brands that experience true staying power.

 

“Different isn’t just good. It’s the only way to stand out in a crowded market.”  – Seth Godin