How can you create a culture of differentiation?

- unlocking the power of differentiation for your brand will not only set you apart from competition but also increase the loyalty of your team members - working for a unique brand with a strong mission resonates especially with the young generation of professionals

Differentiating doesn't have to be doing the same thing but better. As the name implies, it can come about doing the same thing, but come about the result differently. Nucor for example, uses smaller mills to recycle scrap steel as opposed to larger dedicated furnaces that their competitors use to melt iron. This allows for a mobility and flexible response to changing customer demand. Consumer requirements can change at the drop of a hat, and it's the flexible brand that adapts that stays on top.

Once you determine your differentiation, place a stake in the ground and own it. Celebrate your unique offering or competitive edge. Then, begin looking at innovative ways to improve. Seek to maintain viability, deliver more cost effectively, utilize new technology, and ensure your differentiation helps solve a problem that truly matters to your client base.

Differentiation is a game-changer when you are able to differentiate on something that is noticable to customers - and it doesn't always have to be a huge innovation (although, that's great of course). Solving even small - but frustrating or time consuming - issues can help solidify your reputation as a brand that responsive, adaptive, and customer-focused. Incremental changes like making reports or screens more readable, connectors faster to insert, or consumables easier to replace, etc. collectively can have a big impact when tied to customer feedback.

Creating a culture of differentiation that is deeply rooted in humanity extended far beyond the real of business. It encompasses understanding, empathy, and the cultivation of an environment where individuals can genuinely flourish. Remember that for this differentiation to occur and endure, a fundamental element is required:consistency and repetition. Otherwise, it won't last. As human beings, we have a tendency to revert to what's comfortable quite quickly. A cultural differentiation needs to become part of the DNA, rather than just existing on paper.

Quite often marketing teams do not have the time or resources (people, $$, access to the target markets) to do the throrough research that we all know should be done. So then what?? One thing I've always found useful are positioning maps. Try making a bunch of simple ones with two axes labeled with something important to customer (you have to research at least this much!). cost vs. durability, cost vs. time to install, #features vs. cost, scalability vs. simplicity - you get the idea. If you enough of these, and are realistic about where you fall, you'll be able to see if you even have a USP. Sometimes you are a me too product, it's ok - people buy those too.

Gaining a deep understanding of your customers is paramount. Utilize diverse avenues and tools to comprehensively grasp your customers' needs. Align these insights with your company's objectives and values. Encouraging C-Level executives to directly engage with customers is invaluable—conducting qualitative research through cost-effective means like Zoom sessions or podcast or one-on-one discussions can yield invaluable results and forge meaningful connections without requiring significant financial investment.

In my experience, what makes a brand stand out is often tied to why that brand or product exists in the first place. And it goes beyond what it does functionally. Why should I buy this brand instead of any other in the segment or category? When marketing teams define a USP, they often focus on a functional quality which is soon replicated by competitors. What can't be replicated is a clear definition of why that brand exists because it is unique to each brand or business. Apple is not Samsung. Yet both are successful at making phones. What does this brand stand for. I think this is the differentiation factor. It is important to note that some times, this is not something your customers can tell you but that you have to tell them.

To find your USP you need a good market research 🧐 ?! too general & can’t be measured Even how to do it yourself isn’t clear this leads to only confusion, distraction & copying others Instead, here’s what I do: In my culture there is a say, “eat as you like & dress as what your lover recommend” Your clients are your lovers, ask them: - how they see you? - What they like and don’t like about you? - Why they decided to go with you over your competitors? - What could be improved in your product/service so they comeback? Meeting your customers and talking to them is your market research, And it’s the only resource to get your USP right and find your differentiator. Remember, “You can’t see the full image if you are inside the frame”

USP is a combination of your strengths and market dynamics. You may have strong capabilities concerning a particular offering, but that market may be crowded. On the other hand, there might be another space where you are not specialised yet, but have some experience, whereas there are no other players in that space!

As a technical marketer I laughed when I started thinking about all the times a very brilliant person explained to me a point of differentiation for one-to-many hours that then required me then going and asking five other people if the ten words I condensed it into were still technically correct. I would say if you can't explain it to an end-user (whoever that is) without a white paper, it's not a marketable / saleable point for a wide audience. Yes, dig into those details to prove the why and how, but the "what" needs to be clean and crisp. I think most differentiation campaigns fail because either the message of what's different isn't clear or the audience doesn't care or know why they should care.

Once you have defined your USP, it is critical to structure your team around 4 key activities: 1. Content planning - Find the best ways to communicate your message, find where your audience is having hanging out online, when to publish and target results. 2. Content creation - Create the actual original expert content that only can produce through interviews, research reports, surveys from your own team or other industry experts. 3. Content promotion - Your original content needs to be repurposed and promoted wherever or whatever format your audience consumes content in. 4. Conversion and feedback - Once you have their attention, find the best ways to convert them into customers. Always gather feedback and iterate based on the feedback.

Louis Vuitton never discounts. Staples does not put its best-selling SKUs at the back of the store. Patagonia does not promote anything during Black Friday. Dom Perignon skips years when production quality is not perfect. Fiat no longer makes grey cars. The essence of strategy is what you actively choose not to do. Your brand position is a big part of your strategy and should dictate everything you do and how you do them. But it should also prevent you from doing things that others in your category consider standard. Great brands look at their position and use it as a compass to go a different way. Different because their brand demands that they do it differently.

Keep is simple, especially in the B2C segment. If your end user can't figure out your difference, you're already losing. All the marketing and campaigns in the world aren't going to solve your messaging if it isn't communicating a clear difference.

Once you have identified your USP and positioning, it is very important to communicate it consistently across channels. A uniform conveyance of the brand proposition is very important.

I see a huge opportunity to be different by going back to simple elements of a healthy company culture. 1. Safety- people want to work in an environment that is supportive, non-judgmental, and allows them to show up as they are. 2. Communication- people want to be in the loop on their company, their colleagues, and ways they can engage more- access to information or regular communication from leadership is important and expected. 3. Leadership - people want to work for and with confident and empathetic leaders. To be different and unique is to provide a culture of safety, communication, and empathetic leadership. If that occurs your company has a great chance to recruit, retain, and grow with incredible people and potential.

The best way to get a bottom up culture is to let everyone have a say. The best ideas are collaborative, and decentralizing innovation and giving everyone a chance to be heard, and then acting on a group's collective wisdom is the only way they will both care and strive for the end result.

I love the U.S. Army's doctrine of the Commander's Intent. If there is a strong vision, it serves as a benchmark from which employees can base their decisions. This helps on both an individual and group level by building and maintaining a culture of differentiation through empowering employees with the confidence to make decisions that support and elevate the company's vision.

Like the other contributors, I believe this starts with a core set of common beliefs that is consistenly applied. At my company, it's simple - we don't develop/release/make products that don't have a clear technical advantage. While this is an ideal situation for a marketing leader, the culture still requires nurturing. Challenges come in the hiring process, when it's time to decide EoL issues, and when you have to decide how much better is enough? Staying true to your values is a never-ending process.

Every change needs a behavior shift. It can be best accomplished when the teams work with the organization. What works for me is 1. Explain WHY the need for a change (clear communication to teams on reasons) 2. Teach them WHAT to change & HOW to change (training & guidelines to institutionalize a culture of differentiation) 3. Show them where they need to get to (Goals & Benchmarks) 4. Motivate (Reward & Recognition for desirable behavior) 5. Monitor & Support (regular KPI tracking & support to those who are faltering) Do these 5 steps consistently and long enough, and the desired behavior becomes a part of the culture.

To sail into the blue ocean of differentiation, begin by delving deep into your customers' unmet needs and desires. Seek opportunities to create value that competitors haven't tapped into yet (Blue Ocean strategy). Reimagine your business model and offerings to carve out a new space, distinct from the crowded red ocean. By understanding what sets your customers apart and innovating to meet those needs uniquely, you can navigate towards the blue ocean, where you'll stand out and thrive in uncharted waters. UX Research-led empathetic organizations are best prepared to do just that through continuous discovery, observational/contextual inquiry & data triangulation methods.