Brand Activation Series 2.0

Jun 21

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Disruptive Divergence

4 Strategies to Cultivate Brand Distinction in the “Age of Convergence”

In our last article “Brand Distinction as a value creator in The Age of Convergence” we introduced you to the concept of the “Age of Convergence” where we defined convergence as the propensity for brands within unique market segments to increasingly offer similar products & services, deploy wholesale business strategies, systems and curate the same user experience. We referred to it as one of the defining features of today’s business landscape and conceptualized “disruptive divergence” as a tool for competing viably within this age.

In this article, we suggest four strategies by which brands may cultivate and retain their distinction through disruptive divergence. They include strategic intent, leveraging intuitive design, innovation, and exceeding your ceiling.

—The way to anchor your brand is to make purpose its singular compass.

1. Strategic Intent: Anchor your brand.

Put simply, A strategic intent outlines the reasons for your brand’s existence. It defines what goals it hopes to achieve, how it will go about accomplishing them, and what values will undergird its business operations. A brand without a defined purpose is like a ship without an anchor. It drifts wherever the wind blows implying it has no set principles or standards.

The way to anchor your brand is to make purpose its singular compass. It should define its identity and guide all decisions. Operating within the ambit of a brand’s purpose amplifies its uniqueness and creates separation from other market players. While brands may copy or employ your strategies, it would amount to building a house without its foundation. Sticking to your brand’s “why” ensures that you maintain its distinction.

2. Leverage the power of Intuitive Design: Cultivate your brand persona.

How customers perceive a brand and the quality of its service offering are two sides of the same coin. They are of equal importance. The former invites customers to try it out while the latter keeps them using it. Many brands invest much in improving the quality of their service offerings, but few do the same to their image or look. A deliberate nurturing of a brand persona through design that speaks to identified customer needs is necessary to retain distinction amongst many brands.

—Design is only intuitive when it is in sync with customer needs.

A brand’s perception is largely influenced by its design i.e. packaging, presentation, promotion, etc. It is the first feature customers experience and will likely determine their use. Moreover, as businesses trend towards convergence, brands can leverage intuitive design to amplify their uniqueness and create distinction from other brands.

Design is only intuitive when it is in sync with customer needs. It can help organize, pitch, and reinforce brand propositions. When it is not in harmony, it is redundant, dilutes the brand message, and obscures its uniqueness. Any brand looking to disruptively diverge should collaborate with professional designers to create designs that articulate their customer needs and promote the best version of the brand.

3. Innovate: Creatively disrupt.

A great philosopher once said, “there is nothing new under the sun”. Who knows? Perhaps under a different context but I am almost sure ancient civilizations didn’t have iPhones 10,000 years ago. Do you get the gist? Querying the status quo in search of a better brand experience is at the heart of creative disruption.

There are always ingenious ways your brand can serve its audience better. The path to uncovering them is innovation. As convergence increases, your brand can create positive distinction by experimenting relentlessly in pursuit of novel strategies, systems, and processes that improve, redefine and deliver new experiences to your audience. It must reinvent itself consistently by asking the right questions, analyzing the resulting feedback, and making strategic adjustments where necessary. Innovative brands fly high rather than sink under the gravity of convergence.

—Focus, refocus and focus again on the customer’s needs. It is that simple.

4. Exceed Your Ceiling: Hone your brand relentlessly in the direction of customer needs.

A brand is only as good as its offering. In the age of convergence, exceptional service is the piston that drives brand distinction. Consequently, any brand that is not constantly striving to reinvent its customer experience will find itself stuck in the proverbial “middle of the pack”.

So, how does a brand reinvent its consumer experience? Focus, refocus and focus again on the customer’s needs. It’s that simple. Think of it this way; when a customer visits a bespoke tailor’s shop, the tailor measures and makes clothes fitted to the client. What is most important is the customer’s measurements. If it has changed by their next visit, the tailor makes the required adjustments. Do you see it? Consider your brand as the bespoke tailor. You are always measuring and remeasuring your customers’ needs to be able to deliver the best possible experience they can have. This is what creates separation from other brands; a relentless focus on the customer’s needs.

In this age, if a brand desires distinction, it must adapt, evolve, grow and consistently reposition itself to serve its customers. Through sustained customer research, brands can move with the tide of their needs.

Most assuredly, it is important to remember that excellence is the most reliable brand witness. It continues to give credible testimony for your brand long after you cease contact with your audience. How you meet needs or offer solutions is as important as the solution being offered. Paying attention to the little details guarantees brand distinction.

Conclusion

As convergence grows, any brand can leverage disruptive divergence to create a positive distinction between itself and other brands. It can anchor its brand by identifying and living out its purpose, use intuitive design to cultivate a strong brand persona consistent with customer needs, actively pursue novel methods that deliver new experiences to its audience, and honing its craft through continuous realignment with customer needs.

With numerous similar options available, the distinction is fast becoming a significant competitive advantage. The strategies shared here can be used by any brand to increase its visibility, grow its footprint, create and maintain its distinction. To use a metaphor, it can make it a “unicorn in a forest full of horses”.