A lot of advertising has become plagued by clichés, category norms, comfortable territory and accepted ways’ of doing things. Unfortunately for brands who have fallen victim to this, similarity is the road to obscurity (and a huge waste of marketing budget) as they become lost in the crowd Finding happy mediums, familiar territory and compromise’ might keep people happy in meetings, but it often also strips ideas of their power.
What might seem like a safe choice in the confines of a boardroom will most likely be a waste of money when it’s out in the real world. Advertising that feels safe or familiar is actually quite risky — there’s no ‘safety in numbers’ when it comes to advertising. If someone else is doing something similar to what you’re doing, or looks or sounds like you, you’re both in trouble.
Generating and maintaining a distinctive presence in your category will go a long way towards helping your product be the one selected by the customer.
