Great brands don’t mimic

I was asked one of my least favorite questions last week. “Can you give me some examples of what other people are doing?”

It’s pretty easy to get distracted and enamored by what other organisations are saying and doing. And to take the next step of trying their ideas on for size. After all if it worked for them with a bit of a tweak surely it can work here too…

What do they stand for?

How are they positioning themselves (this time)?

How do we stack up against them?

How can we be more like them?

How can we use that idea for us?

Fed by unprecedented levels of information about what businesses and companies are doing, it’s never been easier to practice a bit (or a lot) of what I like to call brand gazing.

And while it’s OK to look around and see what others are up to. Just imagine what you could build if you were to take the lion share of that brand gazing time and focus it on your own organisation instead.

What do you stand for?

What is your positioning?

How do they stack up against you?

How can you be more like you?

What idea would work for you?

Brand gazing is a bit like navel gazing – nice to indulge in now and then. Just don’t let yourself get too carried away, lest you find yourself consciously or subconsciously trying to mimic what others are doing instead of building your own brand.

Work to understand what you care about and the promises you can keep, not the promises others are making.

See you next week.

Get your brand questions answered by posting them on twitter @michelhogan or emailing me at michel@brandology.com.au This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Michel is an Independent Brand Analyst dedicated to helping organisations make promises they can keep and keep the promises they make. She also publishes a blog at michelhogan.com. You can follow Michel on Twitter @michelhogan.