Follow the crowd for a quick win, or commit to something completely different in the hopes of standing out? One California agency laments that most brands now prefer the former approach, and argues for a return to boldness.
When a certain tone, color scheme, or tagline starts popping up within an industry, most businesses nowadays don’t even pause to question it; they just follow.
The logic goes like this: if it’s working for everyone else, it must be the right move, correct? Agencies push trend decks, competitors lean into the same warm neutrals, the same minimalist copy, and soon your brand starts to feel like it belongs.
But that comfort is short-lived.
“For mid-sized companies trying to gain ground, the lure of conformity is especially strong,” says a creative lead from LO:LA, a multi-award-winning creative agency based in El Segundo. “What we’re seeing now is that brands are rushing to blend in and cash in on whatever is being talked about instead of proactively working to stand out.”
“Eventually, what will be left is a brand with no distinct voice, no memory, no staying power; that is, if the company manages to stay that long at all.”
It doesn’t happen overnight because most brands begin with a clear story. Then come the compromises: a word changed here, a design tweak there. Soon, everything gets filtered through committee until nothing risks offense and nothing stands out. Businesses wind up with a brand that checks boxes but doesn’t register.
“We’ve seen strong brands become indistinguishable from their less well-known competitors over time,” LO:LA’s spokesperson says. “They’re afraid to take a position, afraid to turn anyone off, but in doing so, they lose the plot.”
They add that when every brand in a category starts sounding like it was written by the same strategist, buyers stop listening and then they stop caring. “Especially in sectors like wellness, tech, and consumer goods, where competition is fierce and attention is brief, being forgettable is the real liability,” they add.
For LO:LA, differentiating a brand must be a deliberate act. “It entails knowing what your brand actually stands for and saying it with conviction,” says its creative lead.
Just recently, LO:LA laid out a few principles in a new guide, with insights drawn from lessons learned while creating and executing numerous award-winning campaigns. Their tips and resources are designed help businesses get started on saving their brands from the death sentence that is homogeneity.
“Willful differentiation is a business strategy, not indulgence,” says its creative lead. “And in an industry where every brand is saying ‘we care’ and ‘we’re different,’ the only ones that cut through are the ones that prove they’re not afraid to make bold statements.”
