Obsess about your value…. NOT the competition.

Many businesses fall into the trap of obsessing about the competition. Hours are spent picking apart their strategies, imitating their products, reacting to their price promotions and tailoring messages so that it ‘fits in with category norms’. This ends up with entire categories filled with carbon copy brands, undercutting each other on price, with purchase decisions centred solely on availability and price.

Unless you are inventing a category (which has a unique set of considerations in itself), you will have direct competitors- businesses that offer a product or service that are in many cases, identical to you. And this excludes your indirect competitors- businesses that are outside your category but solve the same customer need.

You need to focus your energy on building your brand so that it stands out- ensuring that your customer can see and feel the unique value that you deliver. This stems from a deep understanding of your why; The reason that you exist in the world, the pain points you solve, why you are the best brand possible to meet your target consumers needs. This coupled with a firm understanding of how you want people to feel when they interact with you, will enable you to build an authentic identity and narrative that will stand out and win loyalty amongst your competitors.

Credit: Go-To

A great example of a brand that is led from it’s why and value proposition, and went against the grain of the competition is Go-To, a skincare brand founded with the mission to “make skincare as useful, simple, effective, trustworthy and fun, for as many people as possible”. Unlike the majority of the skincare market, Go-To debunks the science and delivers an honest, transparent brand experience, with humour and real-life experiences. This has led Go-To to establish a solid presence in a cluttered and competitive category.

At Sprowt, we work with purpose driven, product centred brands to unlock their next stage of growth. If you need help building your brand identity and narrative around your purpose and values, get in touch.