"Be unique"? Don't go there

I've seen a fair bit of chat recently about differentiation, distinctiveness and uniqueness. Some of it falls into the 'angels dancing on the head of a pin' category, but one comment stood out, because I think it is bad advice.

"Don't be better, be the only" was the gist of it. I couldn't agree less. (Unless, perhaps, it's for a brand looking to enter a market or sector.)

The concept of the USP was first put forward in 1961, and it's been misleading people ever since. Perhaps it was easier back then; marketing and brand strategy were certainly less-developed and the world less crowded.

Differentiation has always been critical. Always will be, as long as there is competition. But you don't need to be unique to be different. If I'm standing next to a chap who is 2m tall, we both have height, but he has more of it than me. Doesn't mean he's unique.

When we talk with clients about clarity in their brand positioning, we stress four principles:

1. It's their brand to define, and they need to decide where they want to take it. But it lives or dies in their clients'/consumers' minds.

2. The most valuable and enduring brands are not defined by a particular product or service. They are driven by an idea, that enables products and services to come, evolve or go.

3. Being unique is often impossible - certainly over a period of time - and can be replicated or matched relatively quickly. Once that has happened, how does the brand achieve preference?

4. Superiority is the best form of differentiation, because it implies preference and demonstrates a truth in the brand.

Yes, as one "be unique" advocate said, choosing the "be better" route means hard work. We think that's a strength. It means getting absolute clarity on who you're for and what you do for them. It means continually investing in understanding how those requirements and attitudes might be changing, and how to satisfy them. And it demands ensuring that everyone inside the brand understands the promise made on their behalf and wants to keep it.

One other thought on this, which we think is easily overlooked but vitally important. Let's use the language, or the terms of reference, that people naturally use. When I talk with my clients' clients, they hardly ever say "they're the only ones who..." Far more often, they volunteer experiences like "they're better at... I get more xxx from them...etc." They talk in comparatives, not absolutes. Brands should do the same.