Standing out isn’t enough anymore.
Brand strategy needs depth and dimension to truly thrive.
And here’s why…
Many marketers halt at differentiation.
They believe delivering ‘what’ sets their brand as unique.
But if you stop there, then you’re not really helping to shape the experience in a way that is consistent or meaningful in how it’s:
– Built by your teams
– Delivered to the customer
You can hear it in concepts with stronger brands that perform better.
Here was Brian Niccol (CEO) from Chipotle in last week’s earnings call:
“I just love that we’ve got quality, we’ve got value, we’ve got speed, and we’ve got customization.”
Yes, those could define other concepts.
Speed and value are table stakes for the occasions he wants to compete.
And the quality and customization are the points of difference they are trying to drive for the dollar.
But he gets to “consistent” and “meaningful” in the depth in how he defines these, providing clarity for his team and, the marketplace.
Here’s how he described them over the course of the call:
– Quality = fresh and real
– Value = portion size for the price and absolute price
– Speed = throughput every 15 minutes
– Customization = mix and match at the ingredient level
By doing this, he’s organizing his company and setting clear expectations.
He’s showing how it will deliver its products, market, operations, and roll out new ideas.
So, yes, having your brand purpose creates the ‘why’ for your team.
And your brand promise offers the ‘what’ that differentiates you from your competition in a meaningful way to your customers.
But your brand principles bring your brand to life efficiently for your team and consistently for your customers.
So stop just standing out.
Start adding depth and dimension to your brand.