Standing Out in the Land of Giants

We all know how important branding is. A strong, recognizable brand allows you to connect with the customers and clients you already have, generate new business opportunities, and foster loyalty. But in a world full of giants (the Amazons, Apples, and Alphabets of the world) it can be difficult for the non-Amazons to truly stand out. But guess what? You can.

At Tier One, we work with clients in industries that are growing at exponential rates and often dominated by multi-billion dollar players. Finding new, inventive ways to help them not only get noticed, but truly stand out, is one of our core missions. There’s no one secret sauce, but there are a few proven best practices to help any organization shine in even the most crowded industries:

Be Forward Looking

Don’t be afraid to speak about what you think the future holds — it’s not enough to just talk about what you're doing today. Making forecasts, predictions, and painting a picture of what the future holds for your industry can help your brand become a leader that people turn to when they want to know what could be coming next. As long as your vision aligns with your brand mission and messages, executing a vision-driven strategy can help your audience understand who you are, what you stand for — and importantly, where you’re going. 

Have a Strong POV

It can be difficult to get noticed when everyone’s clamoring to be the “expert” on what’s trending in the news. While this is important to do when you have something worthy to contribute, it can be more effective to carve out your own space. Zigging when everyone else is zagging (or zagging when everyone else is zigging) can help you single out your brand  in a good way and make people take notice.  Become the voice for those underrepresented within a trending conversation or shine a light on important discussions that are overshadowed by the day’s hot topics. This will establish you as a go-to expert unafraid to wade into a space where there are a lot less people. 

You Are the Company You Keep

Quality can make a much bigger impact than quantity. Broad reach can be  great, but not if it’s directed at an audience that doesn’t care about or understand what your brand is about and trying to communicate. Make sure to establish dialogue with the media and influencers with whom your mission resonates. It doesn’t mean they always have to agree with you, but they and their followers recognize the significance of the issues you raise. 

Lean Into Creativity

When so much of the air is being taken up by the big players, you have to get creative — no matter what sector you’re in. You might be a 100-year-old manufacturing company, but there are stories buried in that history that make you fascinating (we know this, because we have a client that dates back to WWI with an amazing tale about how it supported U.S. soldiers back then). A scenario like that gives us the opportunity to flex our creative muscles and really think about how we can make it something that gets people talking. 

Never underestimate the power that your brand holds — it’s the story of your founders, your people, your products, your customers all rolled into one colorful mosaic. Whether it’s big, small, or somewhere in between, your business has a voice all it’s own that can deliver impact. Try some of these approaches to see what kind of punch you can really land.

Learn more about how we’re helping our clients stand out as leaders.