Creating an Unstoppable Brand: Your Unique Brand Perspective

What if I told you that the success of your brand has little to do with your product or service? What if your innovative approach and unique selling proposition were almost useless when it comes to building a strong brand?

In their quest to find a way to stand out from the crowd, many entrepreneurs adopt the faulty belief that their ingenuity and novelty will differentiate them from their competition. This may have been true in the past, but now things have changed.

It’s no longer your product or service alone that will help you build a compelling brand. You need something more.

The Story of Anita Roddick

Born in 1942, in the middle of World War II, Anita Roddick was the daughter of Italian immigrants. Her family lived a modest lifestyle in the small village of Littlehampton, England. However, Anita Roddick would later build one of the largest cosmetic brands in the world.

In 1976, she opened The Body Shop, which is a company that sells natural cosmetics. Initially, it was an enterprise borne out of a need to survive. Her family was struggling to make ends meet and The Body Shop was a desperate attempt to keep the family afloat while her husband was overseas. Since then, it has grown into a multinational corporation with over 2,000 stores.

As her business grew, Roddick began to see her company as more than just a vehicle to gain wealth; she saw it as a way to create positive change in the world. Through her business, she sought to make a positive impact on the world.

In the early 90’s, Roddick took up the cause of the Ogoni tribe in Nigeria. Their land was being destroyed by Shell corporation’s oil exploration in the region. Along with other organizations, The Body Shop aggressively protested Shell’s inhumane practices. Eventually, Shell agreed to adopt a more humane oil exploration program.

Throughout her life, Roddick was a constant adversary of injustice all over the world. Through her company, she promoted human rights, environmental stewardship, and the humane treatment of animals. The Body Shop came to symbolize her global vision.  Anita Roddick continued to work hard to change the lives of people all over the world until her death in 2007.

The Unique Brand Perspective

What does Anita Roddick’s story have to do with branding? In a word, everything. Roddick’s heroism is what built The Body Shop’s brand into what it is today.

Today, brands that want to differentiate themselves can’t rely solely on their products or services anymore. They are no longer able to sell their brand on the idea that they can “do it cheaper, faster, or better.” The unique selling proposition is no longer the primary driving force behind successful branding.

Does this mean that the unique selling proposition is no longer important? Not at all. Your product or service still needs to stand out from the crowd. However this alone isn’t enough to build an unstoppable brand. Mark Di Somma presents the following idea:

“Our goal is no longer to position brands in relation to function, but rather to platform brands as promoters of a worldview, even a world change. In essence, to ditch the Unique Selling Proposition in favor of the Unique Brand Perspective – an outlook on the world, and a hope for the future, that drives everything the brand does.”

What is a unique brand perspective? It’s the “soul”
of your brand. It’s what your brand believes about the world and what is truly important. For The Body Shop, it was human rights, environmental friendliness, and humane treatment of animals.

Remember, it’s no longer your products or services that will define your brand. Now, your beliefs are your brand.

Successful branding involves connecting to your audience through a shared worldview

What Does this Mean?

It means that you must figure out what your brand stands for, then find a way to communicate your brand beliefs in a way that makes people want to connect with you. You have to adopt a worldview that is in harmony with the worldview of your audience.

This might not be easy. Everyone in your audience has a worldview that was established before you came onto the scene. In his book “All Marketers are Liars,” Seth Godin points out that:

“Each person has a different set of biases and values and assumptions, and those worldviews are influenced by their parents, their schools, the places they live and the experiences they’ve had to date.”

The key is simply this: find out what dominant worldviews there are in your audience, and frame your unique branding perspective around those worldviews. By doing this, you will create a brand that attracts more people.

Here are some points to consider:

• When creating your unique brand perspective, be authentic. Make sure it’s something you truly believe. Consumers will be able to tell if you’re faking it.
• Your perspective doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. It can be simple and easy.
• Your unique brand perspective should be present in every aspect of your marketing.
• Don’t be afraid to be opinionated. Your unique brand perspective won’t be attractive to everyone, but the consumers who agree with your worldview will appreciate your boldness.

In his TED Talk, author Simon Sinek emphasizes the importance of pursuing relationships with consumers who share your worldview. According to Sinek, you shouldn’t seek to do business with those who need your product or service, you should seek to do business with those who believe what you believe. It’s this commonality that will enable you to form a deep and lasting connection with your audience.

What Does This Look Like?

When companies embrace the unique brand perspective, it permeates nearly every aspect of its approach to doing business. It shows in their marketing efforts. It will be present in the way the brand deals with its customers. It will become an integral part of their corporate culture, whichmeans employees will personify the worldview of the company.

Apple is a great example of this. As a brand, Apple is pretty much obsessed with making their customers happy. Author Carmine Gallo discusses this in his Forbes.com article:

“Apple likes to remind its store employees that they are not in the business of selling computers. They are in the business of “enriching lives.”

Anyone who knows anything about Apple knows that their commitment to making their customers happy extends to its products as well. Steve Jobs took the quality of Apple’s products very seriously. Each product is crafted to provide as much value to the consumer as possible.

Customers don’t buy Apple’s products just because they enjoy using them. They buy Apple’s products because they buy into Apple’s brand. They see the world the way Apple sees it. This agreement in worldview creates a synergy between Apple and its customers, and as a result, Apple remains an incredibly unstoppable brand.

What worldview would you like your clients to share with you? What is it about your brand that you want your audience to buy into? The answer to these questions is your unique brand perspective.

Conclusion

When it comes to building your brand, you must remember that the success of your brand will not depend upon your products or services. It will depend upon how well you craft your unique brand perspective. The success of your unique brand perspective is dependent upon how well you communicate it to your desired audience.

Thanks for reading. Please share!

Images courtesy of: Romolo Tavani and bas121 on dollarphotoclub.com