I have been working with a really interesting business over the past few weeks. Without giving too much away they are a luxury brand, in a cluttered category. Their product is amazing, their service is fantastic, but they have fallen into the tropes of the category. They have inadvertently started acting and behaving in a similar way to every single other brand in the category, and as a result, have become interchangeable with other brands.

This brand is not alone.

So many brands that I speak to have done the same thing. They spend so long looking at and obsessing about the competition that they take on the characteristics of the brand that they are trying to compete against.

So how do you do things differently? It starts with knowing the rules. What is the playbook for the category?

Firstly, what are the Must haves? What are the things that are set in stone? What are the things the customer needs to see and hear in order to trust us. For us to become a consideration?

Then you need to understand, what is the fluff? What are the things that have become the 'norm'? What has become the default standard? What are the go to conventions- the things that dictate how everyone else looks and behaves?

Once you have compiled these lists, the rules that are made to be broken become clear.

I am a big fan of giving illustrative examples, so here are a couple of examples of my favourite rule breakers.

Liquid Death

Liquid Death is a water brand and exists in a category that talks about wellness, life, vitality, purity and freshness. It's all very lovely. Liquid death has done the polar opposite and talks about demons, death, murdering (thirst) and killing (plastic). The brand makes water sound bold, daring and dangerous.

At the same time, they know what is important to the customer in the category and this comes down to format, size, provence and water quality- the official report is available to review and read.

Estrid

For too long the high-performance razor market has been focused on men. Stories of blade innovation and moisture locks that allow a close, rash-free shaving experience were proudly splashed across Guillette ads but where were the women's razors? Where was the innovative blade technology that was made for the female shape at the same affordable price point as the one built for the male jawline? Estrid has called BS on the Pink Tax (the broad tendency for products marketed specifically toward women to be more expensive than those marketed for men, despite doing the same thing) and designed a technology-leading razor system designed specifically for women.

“Your body, your hair, your control” is their underlying brand ethos and messaging. Their imagery celebrates those who identify as women in whichever way they wish to show up and that is with body hair or without. The brand is not trying to shame body hair, force you to remove it but instead embraces the decisions you make from every standpoint.

Whilst they might have pushed the bounders of the category, product perforce and is its number one priority- and as a customer of the brand I can attest to.

Elvie

Until elvie, the breast pump category had been overlooked and under-serviced for basically eternity- with the pumping experience often being compared to a cow being milked- noisy, clunky, lack of mobility. Elvie has completely reimagined the entire experience and put the user is firmly back in control.

Everything about the brand has broken from the confines of the category, except that of the product. It is a flawless execution that meets the pain points of the customer, and the reason that they would buy, but everything else has been completely broken apart.

I would love to know who is your most favourite rule breaker?

Know the rules, and break them.

Sustainability: do people even care?

Tell me i’ll forget (…) involve me i’ll understand.