Your brand is your competitive advantage

If you run a business, or if you’re part of a business (nearly all of us then!), you’ve got a brand. No matter what you might think or what you might say, you’ve got a brand. And your brand is your competitive advantage.

Even if you’ve never discussed ‘the right font’ or considered a ‘colour palette’, written a strapline, or thought about brand positioning — you still have one.

To be honest the question isn’t ‘do I have one’, it’s whether it’s working for you… or against you.

When you take control of your brand, and get it working for you, it’s one of the most powerful tools you’ve got. Here’s why.

Brand is what builds trust.

Your brand is everything you do and say. It’s the perception people have of you based on every time they come into contact with you. It’s how your team answer the phone, respond in emails or on social. It’s your customer service, as well as your marketing.

When a potential customer scrolls past your name, see’s you appear in a search, see’s some of your marketing activity, or ends up visiting your website, they start to become more aware of who you are and what kind of business you are. You start to stick in their minds. And when you show up consistently, time and time again, they recognise you.

And then, rather than ignore you, they begin asking themselves “Can this business solve my problem?”. “Can it meet my need?”. “Can I trust them?”.

A strong brand nails it, answering those questions instantly. Not with loads of waffle, or buzzwords, or shiny distractions — but with clarity, relevance, and confidence.

Because it says:

• we know who we are.
• we know who you are.
• we’re exactly the right choice for you.
• this is how we can help you.

Which builds trust. And here’s the really good bit. When a brand does that, it even makes price less of a conversation. Because with a strong, clear brand, you’re no longer just a commodity. You offer something more – you offer added value. And when people buy in to the value you deliver, they look past price. They become more ‘loyal’, and you earn yourself some price elasticity.

Don’t give sales to your competitors.

However, to get to a position where those who want what you sell actually buy from you requires a clear message delivered with emotion, empathy for the customer, and a distinctiveness you can own that sets you apart from your competition.

You’ve got to be remembered!

If your website, messaging, social posts or any other marketing you want to talk mention look and feel just like your competition — you’ve got a problem.

Especially if that competition is the bigger, more well-known market leader who more people already choose or trust instead of you. Why would someone switch? You’re blending in, not giving them a reason to choose you.

Copying the market, because you’re afraid to be different or you think it’s the ‘safe thing to do’, is actually like spending your budget but giving some of your sales to your competitors. People don’t remember you, they just think of their need and then buy from the market leader or their existing brand.

Not to mention you’ll also spend all your time playing catch up. You’ll be following, always reacting to what others do first. Which tells everyone you’re a copycat brand. Rather than setting your own course and carving out your own niche you can start to own.

Your brand is your competitive advantage.

Forget about playing it safe. You’re going to waste your budget getting lost in the ‘see of sameness’. If you want every penny of your marketing budget to work harder for you, you need to be confident in who you are and stand apart from the competition:

• Find your own voice and talk about how you’re better than your competitors.
• Develop a distinctive visual identity you can own that makes you look and feel different, so you become memorable.

Think of your brand like a shopfront.

• If it’s vague or forgettable, people keep on walking.
• If it’s distinct, engaging, and relevant, they stop, look and go in.

That’s your competitive advantage. And you control it.

Brand isn’t just for the big players.

There’s often a misconception that brand-building is something only “big” companies do. That’s completely wrong. We help businesses with limited budgets build their brand through messaging that shows their personality and point of view, and through consistent use of distinctive brand cues.

Brand isn’t about budget. It’s about understanding who you are, understanding how you add value and shaping how you communicate. Whether that’s through organic social activity, on your website, your sales support collateral. None of that costs the earth. But all of it builds your brand.

And when you look at it like that, it’s actually a lot easier (and faster) to build a clear brand as a smaller business — fewer layers, fewer politics, less inertia.

As an SME, your brand can flex and adapt in real time. You can make bold choices. You can lead with personality. You can build trust without a seven-figure budget.

So don’t let that misconception put you off or stop you.

Brand reduces marketing waste.

No-one likes waste. Especially when it comes to budget. So if you can reduce that waste through a strong brand, why wouldn’t you?

All your marketing should work as hard as possible to create as little friction as possible for people throughout the buying process. As humans, we just don’t like friction. Simple as. The harder you make something for someone, the quicker they’ll switch off.

And we all process images and colours far faster than we do words. So if you develop a distinctive visual style, and show up in the same way whenever and wherever you appear, you’re reducing friction for people and making it easier for them to remember you and buy in to you. Which means your budget is working harder and more effectively for you. Reducing waste!

If you don’t have a strong brand message and a strong brand identity, every marketing campaign starts from scratch. People don’t recognise you, so they have to spend those absolutely critical first few seconds working out who the message is from before they can begin to concentrate on what the message is.

You’re constantly trying to explain who you are, what you do, and why anyone should care. Again and again. That’s exhausting — and expensive.

Without a consistently delivered brand you’re just a commodity and you get judged on functional aspects like comparable features and cost. Or even worse given what we’re talking about, you get compared unfavourably against ‘brands’ people already know, have an awareness of, or affinity with.

A strong brand builds future sales but it also helps convert short-term sales. Think about it. Would you buy now from someone you’ve heard of or someone you haven’t?

If people recognise you, they get what you’re saying quicker. They’re paying attention to your message, starting to understand the value you offer, and forming a positive connection with you that can lead to action.

The B2B angle.

Building awareness and future demand is especially critical within B2B. Research shows that around 90% of B2B buyers make a purchase from their ‘day one shopping list’. Rather unsurprisingly given the name, the consideration list they put together when they first begin to think about their purchase.

And it’s not a long list.

Go back to that idea of friction in the buying process. Don’t think buyers create exhaustive lists of 20 or so potential options. Not a chance. Because that’s pretty hard work and time intensive. Those ‘day one shopping lists’ have around 3 – 5 names on them. That’s it.

And not only are 90% of purchases made from that ‘day one shopping list’, around 90% of those purchases are made with the name that’s no.1 on the list!

Yep. 81% of B2B purchases are made from the name that first came to mind!

See why your brand is so important? You don’t know when around 95% of your target customers are going to become in-market for what you’re selling. But if you aren’t memorable, and you don’t come to mind when they’re in-market, you aren’t going to get bought.

With a strong brand, you show up in a way that’s already familiar, already trusted, already liked. You create mental availability and brand salience.

Every campaign builds on the last. You come to mind and get on buyers’ day one shopping lists. And every marketing pound goes further.

The takeaway?

👉 Your brand isn’t just your logo & font or your look & feel. But you do need to create an identity that’s distinctive to become memorable.

👉 Your brand is the perception that lives in your target customer’s head through every interaction you have with them and the messages you communicate.

If you shape that perception with intention, clarity, and consistency — you’re no longer fighting on features or price. You’re winning on meaning, relevance, and trust.

👉  Your brand needs to be delivered consistently — so you show up in the same way everywhere.

Do all that and you build a stronger brand that works harder for you. Because your brand is your competitive advantage.

Are you making the most of your brand?

If you’re not sure — or you’re finding it hard to stand out — drop us a message. It’s what we help SME leaders get clarity on, every day.