How different are you, really?
Don’t be “Anyfirm”
I have been in marketing for almost 25 years and founded one of the largest independent and top awarded marketing agencies in Canada called Arrivals+Departures Marketing (formally Extreme Group). While much has changed over the years in terms of communication channels and message delivery mechanisms, the most important aspects of marketing have only gotten more vital.
I would agree that most companies do the absolute minimum to differentiate their brand. They look across their industry and see what their competition does and then try to do just a little better than that. Most companies I call, “Anyfirm”. They don’t stand for anything and their marketing could for be any business in any category. Your brand is the most important asset you have. It has to be interesting, genuine, unique and must tell a story for anyone to care (including your staff).
At the heart of marketing is being able to tell the story of your brand. As Simon Sinek said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”. This statement is profound and if properly harnessed can be a destroyer of competition and return exponential value back to the shareholders. Look at the best brands in the world and they almost always have a powerful value proposition or purpose:
Tesla - To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy
Disney - Creating happiness for others
Walmart - Saving you money so you can live better
AirBnB - To make people from around the world feel like they can belong anywhere
IKEA - Creating a better everyday life for the many people
Apple - Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently
These brands do more than just sell stuff. They have a purpose, a mission and a movement. You may argue that “but those are big brands with massive marketing budgets,” and they are unrelatable to you. But let me argue this back: It’s exponentially harder for massive global brands to get a unified voice, uncover their value proposition and then mobilize against it consistently, over many years, on a global basis with a million moving parts every single day. I contend that small to medium sized businesses have a massive opportunity to find their voice, dare to be different and live that purpose every day. Not only does this make you interesting and attractive to prospective customers, it keeps existing customers proud of their association. It also inspires your staff and attracts other prospective employees to your company who share your vision and purpose, only making the purpose stronger.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” ~ Simon Sinek
Most companies market “what they do”. "We sell cars”. “We sell insurance”. “We’re a safety consulting company”. But very, very few companies (less than 5%) can articulate their purpose - their “why”. If it’s so powerful, then why is it almost always overlooked? Mainly, for a few reasons:
It’s super (duper) hard, if not impossible to do without having someone who knows how to pull it out of you and your team. Uncovering and telling your story is one-part science and one-part art. It’s not a linear process and requires a talented advisor to walk you through the process to uncover your truth. Not to say you can’t do it on your own and shouldn’t try, but it’s infinity easier and likely to yield a better outcome using a professional.
Most companies don’t understand the power of uncovering their value proposition. They simply think its not important or it doesn’t really apply to them or their industry.
Most businesses copy one another. Good or bad, the bar the industry sets for it’s imaging is usually the bar most aspire to. People don’t know that the bar is exceedingly low and surpassing it grants massive rewards to those brave enough to be different.
Remember, people buy your products and services, not companies. Everything about business is human. Assuming that branding is only important when shopping for a car or tv is dead wrong. Everyone makes purchase decisions using their emotion and then rationalizes their decision to justify their purchase.
Finding your “why” is an extremely precarious and delicate exploration. I can’t stress enough how much effort it takes to uncover your truth. It’s going to be frustrating, tiring, exciting and defeating. But once you unlock it, it’s like cracking a safe, it just works and opens everything up to you. I usually start by using the Hedgehog concept introduced by Jim Collins. It is edited a bit, but it’s the same essence. The following diagram begins your journey.
“Everyone makes purchase decisions using their emotion and then
rationalizes their decision to justify their purchase.”
Give deep and reflective thought to each circle in the following order, with a small group (3-5) of stakeholders:
What does the world need?
This translates to “what are you in the business of” and “what problem do you solve in your industry”. You need to have a firm understanding of this question and understand what the needs of your customers are today and how they may change in the future. Sometimes companies get into business knowing they offer a solution to a customer need, then over time just stay in that treadmill and don’t understand how the needs of the customer are changing. They lose relevance and then their customers. I have seen much come from spending time answering this question from companies that stopped asking. Get your answer down to a single, boiled down sentence.
What are you good at?
This is a powerful question and even though the answer should roll off your tongue, most owners or management struggle to have an answer to it. Worse, when they do, it’s usually not the same answer the staff gives. This question is actually not easy to answer mostly for companies that have been in business a long time. They have forgotten what they are good at and got into the cycle of “supplying shit”. Knowing what you are truly good at as it relates to “what the world needs” is a vital part of the process. Again, boil this down to one single sentence.
What are you passionate about?
Ok, now here’s the tough question and where most stall out in the process of finding your truth. Answering this question after you know the answers to the first two circles is really hard. Why? Mainly because it’s a subjective question and everyone in the room could perceivably have a different personal answer. But here’s a hint: The answer to this question has to keep your other two answers firmly in its scope. Finding a group passion is rough terrain but getting consensus on this answer is half the battle. If you can answer this question for your business, this directly ladders up to the gold: “Your brand purpose or your ‘why’”.
Your brand purpose or your “why”
Distilling your brand purpose is where each circle intersects and all the magic happens. Where your truth lies and your competitive advantage blossoms. This is your “why” and if you can infect your culture with it and creatively communicate it, you will win. Period! This truth only comes from your DNA and is hardwired into your organization. It impacts every facet of your business and charts a path forward for years to come. I have literally replaced business plans after uncovering a “why” before. It’s that powerful!
“I have literally replaced business plans after uncovering a “why” before. It’s that powerful!”
I want to stress if this process was easy, everyone would do it. It’s not and 95% of businesses out there don’t know their “why”. Pick the right stakeholders to join your small project group (3-5 people tops). Don’t stop until you get goosebumps. Know that you will want to give up or worse, settle many times before you cross the finish line. Don’t. Don’t settle for the sake of completing it. If it’s not authentic, the outcome can be very counter-productive or even worse, damaging.
If you think you have it answered then ask yourselves these questions and if you don’t get a “hell yeah!” to each, you haven’t dug deep enough:
Is it truly different?
Is it believable?
Is it simple and clear?
Does it excite you and your staff?
Can you deliver on it?
Key takeaways:
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”
Dig deep to find your authentic purpose
You’ve arrived when your purpose “unlocks everything”
Let your purpose guide your corporate strategy