The Best Doesn’t Sell if it’s the Same.

Rewind back to Victorian times, a world of children up chimneys, mutton chop beards and shopping rituals where goods were hidden behind counters and the mantra was ‘“look but don’t touch”.

In comes Mr Selfridge with his American bravado and some of that ‘new world thinking’, inviting customers to touch the products - better yet, try that bonnet on, take a look in the mirror and give us a twirl. 

That simple shift, from transactional to experiential revolutionised the world of retail and the reason why Selfridges still thrives today while the stuffy Victorian shops are long gone is because Mr Selfridge was a differentiator.

By transforming this rigid form of shopping into an engaging, customer-focused experience he separated his shop from the norm and stood out from the competition. 

In a saturated market where everyone is trying to stand out, true brand differentiation isn’t about being different for the sake of it - it’s about being meaningfully different in ways that resonate with your audience. 

Without understanding what matters to your audience and nailing what your differentiation is, people won’t have a strong enough reason to buy from you, and even the best products can be overlooked in favour of something cheaper. 

Selfridges recognised this and gave people a reason to change their shopping habits by investing time and effort into brand differentiation. So how can you identify the differences your customers are willing to pay for? 

Here’s five things we do at Nexus for our clients that ensure they stand out and create lasting impact with customers: 

Identify what everyone else is doing - then do the opposite (strategically)

We study the norms of the industry, everything from messaging, services, pricing and spot the ‘sameness’. It’s only once we’ve spotted that sameness that we can find a bold point of contrast that aligns with brand values and customers needs, ultimately breaking a pattern that others hadn’t questioned.

Create a strong, ownable brand identity

From visuals to tone of voice, every touchpoint needs to reflect what makes you meaningfully different not just aesthetically different, these messages of difference need to be consistently reinforced throughout all your material, focusing on what your customers really care about.

Solve a problem no one else is focused on

It’s easy to think that price is a customer's main priority, but we’ve found often this isn’t the case. We research, look at data and find out what frustrates your customers that competitors ignore. For example a competitor may be cheaper but they keep customers on hold for an hour, or they may not update them on each step of a delivery process - these can be easy problems to solve that will make consumers turn to you, and talk about you. 

Create an experience, not a transaction

People remember how brands make them feel, whether it's through the service, packaging, value or just human interaction. If people have a perception of your industry, aim to change that perception. 

Tell a story that resonates (and stick with it) 

Storytelling is one of the best ways to connect with your audience and by crafting a brand narrative that’s authentic, relevant and compelling while sharing your values and missions shows your audience that you stand for something rather than just selling something. 

It’s a lot easier to go with the flow and stick with the adage “It’s always been done that way” but truly standing out in a crowded market place takes a bit of courage and a little bit of risk to think differently, consistently deliver and be unmistakably you. 

The Nexus Perspective

There’s a space somewhere for nice ideas and fluff, but we’re in the space of delivering growth for your business through intelligent marketing. And part of that is by making you meaningfully different. 

If you fancy the sound of intelligent marketing for your business, then drop us a line and let’s talk.