Standing Out in the Crowd

Differentiating a brand is critical to its success in the marketplace. In some way, shape, or form, a product needs to stand out from its competition—to be distinctive in such a way that gives a customer a reason to buy it.

There are many aspects that come into play with brand differentiation including the product attributes themselves, product positioning, packaging, and the overall marketing message that pulls it all together. It is also a very dynamic endeavor, requiring a continual awareness of market trends that can provide opportunities for product enhancements. One thing is for sure, in most cases, distinctiveness doesn’t last for long—even Henry Ford got “out-distincted” a few years ago when sales of his venerable Model T fell victim to technical and customer service innovations.