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11 min read
HOW BRANDS CAN STAND OUT IN A CROWD
Introduction: An Entrepreneurs Guide
Let's face it, entrepreneurs: in today's market, blending in is the new failing. You didn't quit your day job, drain your savings, and survive on ramen noodles just to be another face in the crowd. You’re here to make waves, not ripples. So here’s my take on how to build a brand that doesn't just stand out—it stands up and demands attention.
Trailguard AI helps detect poachers in wildlife reserves.
Know Thyself (Before You Wreck Thyself)
First things first: who the hell are you? And no, "the next big thing" isn't an answer. Dig deep. What makes your startup or SMB tick? What gets you out of bed at 3 AM to code/design/hustle? That's your brand's heartbeat.
Voice and tone: Take a good, hard look in the mirror. Does your brand reflect the rebel yell in your entrepreneurial soul, or does it look like it was created by a focus group on Xanax? If it's the latter, it's time for a change.
Remember Airbnb? They weren’t just another hotel booking site. They tapped into the wanderlust and community-seeking spirit of millennials. They knew who they were: the anti-hotel, the home-away-from-home for a generation that values experiences over things. That clarity of identity? It's pure gold
Your Audience Isn't Everyone (Thank God)
Here's a secret: if your target audience is "everyone," you’re doing it wrong. The myth of universal appeal is just that—a myth. It's like trying to be the perfect date for every person on Tinder. Spoiler alert: you'll end up alone, swiping through your tears for years.
Instead, find your tribe. Who are the people that will tattoo your logo on their arm? (Okay, maybe start with who'll use your product religiously.) Get specific. Stupidly specific. "Tech-savvy urban millennials who value sustainability and have a slight addiction to oat milk lattes." That specific. Get more specific if you have time and a budget available. Remember, it's easier to be a big fish in a small pond than a minnow in the ocean. Find your pond, own it, and then expand. That’s how you go from startup to world domination.
Consistency is Key (But Boring is Death)
Here's the tightrope you need to walk: be consistent enough that people recognize you, but not so consistent that you’re more predictable than a Fast & Furious plot. Your brand needs to evolve, or it'll go extinct. But evolve doesn't mean "total personality transplant every quarter." Think Madonna, not multiple personality disorder.
Take Netflix. It started as a DVD-by-mail service (ask your parents or kids). They saw the streaming future coming and pivoted hard. It kept its core brand promise—entertaining content delivered conveniently—but completely changed how it did it. That's evolution done right.
Tell Stories, Not Sales Pitches
If your brand story sounds like it was written by a bot trained on sales brochures, congratulations: you've just put your entire audience to sleep. Your story isn't about what you sell, it's about why you exist.
Think about it: Apple doesn't sell computers, they sell innovation and creativity. Nike doesn't sell shoes, they sell athletic achievement. What are you really selling? Hint: it's not your product, it's the change your product creates.
Patagonia nails this. They don't just sell overpriced fleece jackets. They sell environmental responsibility and adventure. Their customers aren't buying clothes; they're buying into a lifestyle and a set of values. That's the power of narrative.
Be Human (Even If You're Not)
In an age where ChatGPT can write a sonnet and Dall-E can paint a masterpiece, being human is your superpower. Don't hide behind corporate speak or jargon. If you wouldn't say it to a friend at a bar, don't say it in your branding. “We kicked the crap out of Kibble” works because it was the authenticity of Jim and Ryan from NOBL foods, siphoned from our input sessions.
Inject your personality into your brand. Are you snarky? Let it show. Got a weird obsession with dad jokes? Embrace it (but maybe run them by someone first). Your quirks are what make you memorable.
Just remember: there's a fine line between quirky and cringe. Wendy's Twitter account walks this line like a tightrope. They're sassy and fun, but they never forget they're still a brand. Learn from them.
Disrupt, Don't Destruct
You're an entrepreneur. Disruption is in your DNA. But here's the thing: disruption for its own sake is just noise. Your disruption needs to solve a real problem. Look at what Uber did to the taxi industry. They didn’t just create a new app; they fundamentally changed how people think about transportation. That’s disruption with purpose.
What's the status quo in your industry that everyone hates but nobody's fixing? That's your golden ticket. Solve that, and you won't just stand out—you'll be the only one standing.
Measure What Matters
Likes, shares, and follows are great for your ego, but they don't pay the bills. Focus on metrics that actually mean something for your business. Customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, average order value, and monthly active users—these are the numbers that should keep you up at night. Use data to refine your brand strategy, but don't let it run the show. Data can tell you what's happening, but it takes human insight to understand why it's happening and what to do about it.
Remember Moneyball? Billy Beane used data to build a winning baseball team on a shoestring budget. Be the Billy Beane of your industry. Find the undervalued metrics that your competitors are ignoring and use them to your advantage.
The Last Word (For Now)
Building a standout brand isn't a one-and-done deal. It's a constant process of refinement, adaptation, and sometimes, complete reinvention. It's a journey, not a destination.
But here's the good news: as an entrepreneur, you're already wired for this. You're a natural-born disruptor, a square peg in a world of round holes. Embrace that. Let it fuel your brand. Your brand is more than a logo or a tagline. It's the gut feeling people get when they hear your name. It's the story they tell themselves about why they choose you over the other guys. Make it a story worth telling.
Now get out there and start standing out. The world is waiting for the next big thing, and spoiler alert: it's you.
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