Why Your People Don't Make The Difference

You have great things to say about your company or brand. But will your words make an impact or get lost in the shuffle? To make your brand story stand out, you can’t chime in with what everyone else is saying. Learn how to dig deeper and differentiate your brand with messaging that sets you apart.

If you’re like me, you work with extremely smart, talented and dedicated people. Your people may be your company’s greatest asset. But from a brand perspective, they aren’t your company’s greatest selling point.

As a writer specializing in brand messaging, I’ve interviewed hundreds of company leaders, marketing directors, brand managers and entrepreneurs about what sets their brand apart. Before I can craft an accurate brand story or memorable slogan, I need to dig deep to find real points of distinction. What makes your company or product better than your competition? What truly makes you stand out? The answer that usually bubbles up is one I can do little with: “Our people make the difference.”

And that’s the challenge. If everyone says it, how can it set your brand apart?

Virtually all companies think their people are amazing. They hired them, after all. But branding requires differentiators. These are not simply characteristics of your product, service or entity, but things you do differently or better than anyone. Here are five ways to look beyond the surface and identify Unique Selling Points (USPs) for compelling brand messaging.

1. Say things competitors can’t – or don’t.

Run this simple test. Insert another company logo with your brand messaging. If it works just fine, you need to look deeper. Perhaps you’re in a mature market with many companies advertising the same benefit. Give it a new twist that makes it your own.

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