Is Your Brand ‘Beige’? Why Standing Out Isn’t Optional.

In the crowded world of digital marketing, your brand can either pop and make people stop and look, or it can just blend into the background, unnoticed. Welcome to the time where ‘beige’ is definitely not the vibe you want for your brand. Let’s dive into why standing out isn’t just a nice bonus; it’s absolutely crucial, especially when everyone else is fighting for attention too.

Worried your brand might be beige?

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More Than Just a List of Services

Imagine walking down the aisle of your favourite store. What catches your eye? It’s seldom the plain, blend-into-the-background option. The same goes for the digital marketplace. Every day, countless businesses pop up online, each listing their services in a droning litany reminiscent of a school roll call. It’s like painting your brand in ‘beige’ – safe, but forgettable. Who wants to be forgotten?

It’s tempting to treat your website or social media as a billboard. “Here’s what we do, and here’s how you can contact us!” sounds straightforward, right? But let’s be honest, this approach is as engaging as reading the terms and conditions of your latest software update. Your potential customers are scrolling through a sea of similar pitches. What they are really looking for isn’t just a service list; they want a reason to choose you over your competitors.

Building Trust: The Colorful Bridge Between You and Your Customers

Now, let’s talk trust. If you expect someone to part with their hard-earned money, they need to trust you. Trust is the foundation of any relationship, and it starts with your brand. Your brand isn’t just a logo or a color scheme; it’s the entire experience you provide. Your message needs to resonate with your audience on a personal level. How do you make someone feel understood and appreciated through a screen? That’s the million-dollar question.

Crafting a Message That Sticks

Your brand message should be like your favourite song lyric – it sticks because it strikes a chord. It’s not just what you say; it’s how you say it. Are you the bold innovator? The reliable expert? The caring neighbor? This persona should permeate every layer of your communication, creating a cohesive narrative that captivates.

Did you know Ben & Jerry’s has been operational since 1978?
Did you know they are owned by the mega-commercial food company, Unilever? During the 2000 acquisition, Unilever agreed to carry on the company’s tradition of engaging “in these critical, global economic and social missions”. This branding has undoubtedly contributed greatly to their longevity and success.

The Challenge of Standing Out

Let’s face it; differentiation is a challenge. It’s easy to fall into the comfort zone of industry norms. But remember, comfort zones are where dreams go to die. Standing out might mean taking bold steps: tweaking your tone, overhauling your visual style, or even rethinking your entire user experience. It means not just being different, but being authentically you.

If you’ve ever bought something from this brand, you’ll know their gear isn’t cheap. How do they manage to sell overpriced quarter-zips to generations of folks? Branding and strong messaging! They continuously state their clear commitment to the environment such as donating 1% of all sales to environmental causes.

Embrace Your Unique Colour

So, is your brand ‘beige’? If yes, it might be time to bring out the colour palette. Start by understanding your unique value proposition. What do you offer that no one else does? Why should customers come to you? Dive deep. The answers to these questions are your brand’s vibrant colours waiting to shine.

Goodbye Victoria Secret, hello Aerie! This generation is growing up during a body positivity movement. It isn’t the generation that sees Victoria’s Secret models as the definition of beauty but instead flock to brands like Aerie which use models that feel more like a true representation of themselves and their friends. Diversity and Inclusion is at the root of their branding and it’s resonating with their audience. When other clothing retailers were struggling coming out of the pandemic, Aeries sales only climbed. In Q4 of 2023 they experienced a 13% increase in sales, up from 12% in Q3.

One Last Word of Advice

If you talk the talk, you must walk the walk. Nobody likes to feel bamboozled or lied to. Victoria Secret is a good example of a brand failing to empower women and thus lost their core audience. See here for Gen-Z’s take on the brand now. Another example of a brand failing is Ellen Degeneres. After reports of workplace bullying, her audience lost big trust – viewership in her final season was down over a million viewers.
Moral of the story is, if you say you’re xyz, you must BE xyz for the sake of audience trust.

Brand Essence Activity

You may be familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – well you can think of this as your brand’s hierarchy of needs. The challenge is to fill the prompts of every level of the triangle, working from the bottom up.

Here is a fillable version for you to print or download.