Differentiation is an obsolete concept. Coming up with a message doesn’t make your brand different. You’re merely trying to convince the consumer that you’re different.
But let’s be realistic. Is there a whole heck of a lot of difference between one product on the shelf than the other? A brand likes to think so, but really? Not so much.
So over the decades they’ve spent billions getting inside of our head. Because that’s where our decisions are made. And over time, they hook us into believing that we like one brand over another.
Trust me. I’m not pointing fingers. When my wife goes shopping and I sit with her to make a list, I don’t write ketchup. I write Heinz ketchup. Why? Because that’s all I’ve ever used. I confess to not having any scientific explanation for my preference other than to say I was marketed to and it stuck.
But that was then. In today’s social economy it’s no longer enough to say you’re different, you actually have to make a difference in people’s lives.
