It’s still bike season around here, but since we’ve already had a little bit of snow, I decided it was time to figure out what my ski situation looks like for the year.
I don’t actually know why I have so many skis. I don’t even remember where they all came from or why I bought one ski versus another. They all just sort of blend together.
Heh, blend together. Sort of like all of brand marketing right now.
So much of what we see—from gear brands, to resorts, to retailers—is aspirational, polished, and predictable.
Perfect powder turns. Toned hikers smiling at distant peaks. Slow-mo fire pit scenes. It’s not bad work—it’s just safe.
And safe storytelling is costing a lot of brands their edge.
Because when everyone is painting the same perfect picture, consumers stop noticing the picture altogether.
It becomes wallpaper. Polite. And forgettable.
When everything looks and sounds the same, people don’t buy into the brand—they default to functional benefits and price. They comparison shop. They wait for a sale. They choose whoever has the cheapest option, fastest shipping, or the color they like best that day. And that’s just a race to the bottom.
But the issue here isn’t a lack of talent or passion. It’s a lack of a distinct point of view.
When you don’t define and express a clear POV, you leave the door wide open for competitors to sound exactly like you. Or worse: you allow them to be your competition when they shouldn’t be.
A distinct POV doesn’t just help you stand out … it can actually remove competition.
Earlier this year, the Multiplier Effect study found that brand marketing alone outperforms performance marketing in ROI. Moreover, when you combine brand marketing AND performance marketing, you get a multiplier effect. So, optimizing digital without investing in real brand differentiation is like waxing your skis but not checking the edges. Or adjusting your derailleur but not lubing your chain.
The brands that break through aren’t necessarily louder or riskier; they’re clearer about who they are, what they stand for, and how they show up. They build from a distinct POV, and let that shape everything they do.
Different wins. Same gets ignored.
All right, I gotta figure out what I’m doing with all these skis.
We’ll see ya out there.