My parents recently bestowed upon me a few boxes of “treasures” from my youth.
As I was digging through, I found an essay I wrote in the sixth grade responding to the prompt: “What makes you unique?”
After pouring my heart and soul into this essay, I felt so proud of that I shared it with my mom before turning it in.
It went something like this:
“What makes me unique is that I am the only Robby Shurr on the planet. There’s no one else like me out there. I am the only one of me anywhere.”
Wow, right?
My mom read through my hard work; gave me a criminally offensive side eye; and made me sit back down and redo my “masterpiece,” digging deeper this time to really consider the topic.
Her critique was a good lesson for young Robby Shurr—saying that you’re unique, or special, doesn’t actually make it so.
Maybe this experience helped shape my passion and career in helping brands find success by discovering and sharing what actually sets them apart.
But I can’t tell you how often I hear from brands:
- We’re fun!
- We give back!
- We care about our customers.
- We take care of our employees.
- We care about the environment.
- Our product is the best.
These broad statements don’t differentiate brands. In order to separate yourself from the everyone else, you can’t just say you’re unique (thanks, Mom!). You have to show it in very clear ways.
This isn’t rocket science, right? So why is it so hard?
I have a theory.
Many of us spend so much time trying to fit in—in our peer groups, in our professional circles, and even in our families. As we strive to fit in, we lose what’s truly unique about us. We dull our ideas, style, and viewpoints in an effort to be part of the group.
The same goes for your brand.
In an effort to look like you fit into the industry or appeal to every possible consumer, you never really stand out.
Trying to be everything to everyone is the fastest way to be nothing to no one.
So to boil it all down:
- Saying that you’re unique (or fun or sustainable) doesn’t make it so.
- You need to find ways to truly, truly, stand out.
- Otherwise, no one will care.
In a few weeks, we’ll be launching a free challenge all about eliminating your competition. Stay tuned for all the details.
Ready to move now as you plan for 2025? Ready to find your own voice and win against your competition? Walden Hyde’s here for you.