Same Category, Different DNA (Insight)
Another great question from a client recently: “You’ve just mapped our brand and now we can see our brand DNA very clearly. Do you think it has the same characteristics as our competitors? How much of our DNA is in fact unique?” Of course, the answer would depend on the category and which brands you’re comparing…
For example, in the luxury auto category, if you compare the brand attributes and brand promise of Audi vs. Lexus, the differences could not be more apparent. Audi represents technology, futurism, and shiny silver robots who speak in sexy undertones, but with a masculine tone. Lexus represents luxury, indulgence and a service experience that feels like a luxurious mink coat, and with an appropriately female voice. In the beverage category, while the chemical differences between one brand and another may be insignificant, the emotional and social differences can be a mile wide. Sometimes a cigar is not just a cigar.
The term “DNA”, when applied to branding and marketing, is of course a metaphor. But an extremely apt metaphor when used rigorously. While we share most of the same DNA as chimpanzees, the small differences in sections of our genome – result in huge differences in outcome, such as the capacity of our brains to learn and adapt.
Perhaps the best analogy to “different DNA within the same category” comes from evolutionary biology. In a given ecosystem, there are different “niches” when it comes to the position and role of a given species. For example, scavengers are a niche. Apex predators are a niche. In each of these niches, you can have markedly different species occupying the same role.
Similarly, in a given product category, such as laundry detergent, you can have two players, such as Tide and Sunlight, whose DNA could not be further apart, even if their function and chemical composition are similar. Tide represents “the responsible mother’s guardian against evil dirt and germs” (my paraphrasing), while Sunlight represents “the cool mom’s tool to allow families to have fun and get dirty” (again, my paraphrasing).Very different DNA, sitting right next to each other on shelf…