Following up on my previous post about John Gerzema and Ed Lebar´s The Brand Bubble, I would like to add a note about a topic I left untouched: The Energized Differentiation.
In The Brand Bubble the authors draw an in-depth context of today´s market place. According to them there is a huge clutter of products that very much offer the same thing, and where the only way out for brands to differentiate is by lowering prices. They argue that this is due to media fragmentation and technological innovation. Nowadays, a nobody-heard-of brand can grab the market share and reach more consumers than a blue chip company. On the competitive level, minor brands with less capacity can manufacture and distribute high quality goods too, but for much lower prices. Think of home appliance gadgets for instance.
On the other hand, consumers are becoming less and less impressed and knowledgeable of brands. They just don´t care and don´t trust brands anymore. Brands have made way too many false promises and now they can´t be trusted. In these Postmodern times, consumers have grown aware of the world around them, are in general more sure of themselves and above all, know that fulfillment doesn´t only come through material possession.
For brands this is real trouble. If your brand´s USP is price, anyone who´s willing to go lower will beat you. So what can you?
The Energized Differentiation is way to snap out of the clutter, making your brand truly desired, allowing you even to higher prices as demand for your brand grows. Nicely said, but what does it really mean? To make a brand glow with energy and attract consumer´s desire and appreciation, marketers must rely on true creativity, keep a clear vision and be flexible enough to adapt to market changes.
Brands that are heavily energized have a strong creative essence or foundation. At the same time as they impress consumers, they somehow “lend” or let their features transcend to consumers, making them feel more creative and energetic themselves.
Personally, my favorite brands are: Apple, American Apparel and New Balance. Other brands than those I would probably not even bother to mention, but these in particular add a kind of magic to my day-to-day inspiring me by their insights of the world.
The life lesson for me is that the energized differentiation also applies to persons. In the human market place, similarly to consumer markets, there is a lot of competition. With more people having more access to information and education, the supply of qualified professionals tends to increase. As with brands, those willing to get the job will do it for less money. So here too, in order to differentiate yourself from the crowd, build positive energy and let that shine on those around you.
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