Here’s a challenge: if you had to fill in the following blanks, what would you put?

My brand is the ONLY____________________ that ____________________.

Put your area/sector such as deli or dealership or accountancy in the first space and then what makes you ‘the only one that…’ in the second.

Can you do it in 1 or 2 or at least a very few words?

If you need a couple of sentences, ask yourself how many others in your area or sector could or would say exactly the same thing as you if they were asked.

And if you can fill it in, is it really only your brand that does what you’ve put? Or honestly, is it a bit of a generalisation that again, could apply to countless others?

If that’s the case, maybe now is the time to start thinking about whether you can somehow differentiate yourself from the rest of your sector. Find your only one.

Ask yourself:

  • WHAT is your category?
  • HOW are you different?
  • WHO are your customers?
  • WHERE are they located?
  • WHEN do they need you?
  • WHY are you important?

Thinking about these points in detail might at least get you closer to positioning your brand as ‘the only one that…’

Obviously, this exercise doesn’t really provide the ultimate, conclusive answer for how your brand, your product, or your service can become utterly unique, but it should get you to a point where you can reflect, look at it from a different perspective, and maybe make an improvement.