Tempted to copy another brands style?
If you follow us on socials you’ve definitely heard me say ‘the sea of same’ and that is not where you want your brand to be my friends.
I witnessed exactly this (glaringly so) in my local chemist. Two bar brands - so similar that I mistake the new one for my favourite brand. The colours, the minimalist style, font choice, EVERYTHING. Not to mention, they were stacked vertically next to each other. If you take nothing away from this, take this:
If you confuse, you lose.
This isn’t just a coincidence. It’s a classic FMCG mistake. And it’s costing brands more than they realise.
So why do brands do this? fear and laziness put simply, but there’s more to it
The long answer is they’re chasing trends, choosing to follow someone else’s roadmap of success instead of what the right choice is for their brand positioning (do they have one?), which leads me to the next point.
Lack of brand strategy
Without identifying who you are, what you stand for and why you’re different then it’s easy to just jump on board with what you already see working in your niche.
It’s also really easy with internal teams or big agencies to get caught in a bit of echo chamber thinking. Everyone is looking at the same competitors, referencing the same trends.
So why is it bad for business?
This isn’t rocket science, if your product looks the same as the one next to it you’ve become a commodity.
So that means you’re not memorable, and that’s bad news for your margins and your brand in the long term.
3 things are likely to happen here:
You’ll be competing on price
You’ll confuse your customer
You cheapen and weaken your brand
Remember, nobody remembers the runner up in the lookalike contest you know it.
In FMCG it’s crucial to differentiate; that is the key to survival. If you look like everyone else, you’ve already lost half the battle, and it doesn’t matter how good your product is.
Your packaging is selling your product when you’re not there to so don’t underestimate its importance.
So how do you stand out on shelf?
You lead with strategy first, every design decision should align with a clear brand position. Design helps position your product. Your brand will be positioned in the eyes of the consumer, whether you like it or not. Utilising strategy in the design process helps position it where you want it to be.
The goal isn’t just to be on the shelf, it’s to be the chosen one.
This is why we refuse to lean into cookie-cutter design, our motto is always ‘lean into what makes your brand different’, taking the path less followed helps you cut through in saturated markets. Don’t be afraid to stand out, be afraid to blend in.
