3 Keys for Brand Growth

Identifying Your Brand's Unique Edge

To stand out in a crowded market, your brand needs to find a distinct edge—a unique factor that sets it apart from the competition. This X Factor could be:

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A Novel Intersection

Exploring an unexplored intersection of ideas or industries, offering something truly innovative, igniting new Associations.

• Find the intersections that makes your Brand novel & interesting

^{Interesting Reads: The Medici Effect}

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A Provocative Conflict

Embracing a polarizing opinion or an unpopular perspective that challenges the status quo, contrasting with other by creating polarity.

• Find a polarizing opinion that has the potential to create discourses among your audience.

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A New Identity

Establishing a fresh or upcoming identity where your audience can find a sense of belonging or elevate their status.

• Define the New Identity of your buyer, focus on their new given superpower.

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A Disruptive Solution

Creating a solution that renders previous approaches obsolete, pushing boundaries and setting new standards.

• Make them move: How does your Value Proposition, not only empowers your Buyers, but also empower your Business competitively?

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An Empowering Belief

Introducing a belief that fills untapped needs, giving voice to unheard communities and empowering them.

• What are those beliefs? What are the (sub)community of people your Brand can reach? How does your Brand empower them?

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Finding this unique edge requires a balance between novelty and familiarity. Your brand should be innovative enough to stand out, but not so unfamiliar that it becomes difficult for the market to embrace.

So let's take a look:

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Balancing Novelty and Familiarity

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Your brand and products must find a home between the novel and the familiar. If your brand is too novel, the adoption curve will be steep, and potential customers may find it challenging to connect. Conversely, if your brand leans too heavily on familiarity, it may come across as conservative, especially if it's new and unestablished.

The concept of "Most Advanced Yet Acceptable" (MAYA), introduced by designer Raymond Loewy, encapsulates this balance. It suggests that the most successful innovations are those that are advanced enough to be seen as new, yet familiar enough to be accepted by the market.

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Next Steps

• How does your Brand, Core concept & Value Proposition fit in the MAYA model?

^{References: Raymond Loewy}

The Diffusion Model

The spread of a brand or product hinges on its acceptance by others. We, as humans, are naturally wired to adopt new ideas only after seeing others embrace them. This process is well-explained by Roger’s Innovation Adoption Curve, which breaks down the stages of adoption:

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1. Innovators (2.5%): The first to try new ideas, these individuals are risk-takers and tech enthusiasts.
2. Early Adopters (13.5%): Influential leaders who adopt innovations early and play a key role in spreading them to others.
3. Early Majority (34%): These individuals are more cautious and adopt innovations once they see them successfully used by others.
4. Late Majority (34%): Skeptical by nature, they only adopt after the majority has proven the innovation's value.
5. Laggards (16%): The last to adopt, they prefer traditional methods and resist change

Innovators & early Adopters make the core of the success of your Brand or Product; they are the first to embrace it and have significant social influence, making them powerful evangelists.

To effectively spread your idea, focus on delighting your early clients—when they are excited, their word-of-mouth will naturally attract early adopters, who will, in turn, influence the majority.

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🌈 Next Steps

• Identify your early adopters, what is their 🧝 Avatar?
• How do you delight them?

‍^{References: Diffusion of innovation, Everett Rogers}