So you think you're different?

Most brands look different.

Few actually are.

Looking different is easy. Pick new colours. Refresh the website. Done.

But that’s just cosmetic. Someone could copy your colours and layout in an afternoon.

Then what?

Real differentiation is strategic.

It changes who you serve, what you offer, or how you deliver.

→ Cool coffee shop interior = cosmetic.

→ Coffee shop that only serves single-origin beans and shows where each bean came from = strategic.

Why does this matter?

Cosmetic changes have a short shelf life. Trends move on. They rarely carry meaning because they don’t reflect real choices.

Strategic differentiation lasts longer. It’s built on your experience, your point of view, and the decisions your competitors won’t make.

So how do you actually get there?

Youngme Moon gives three specific moves in her book, Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd.

Take away what everyone else keeps adding. Say no where others say yes.

→ IKEA removed service and assembly, then built around design at lower prices.

Reframe the category to create new meaning. Don't compete within the category, but change how people see it.

→ Swatch stopped competing on precision and reframed watches as fashion accessories.

Refuse to accommodate the mainstream. Make choosing you feel like taking a stance.

→ Mini Cooper didn’t make their cars bigger when SUVs took over. They doubled down on small.

Winning brands stop comparing. They make hard decisions, then build everything around them.

🌑 Robert