Different or Great – Which is best?

Let’s consider walking down your average high street / main street. What do you see?

 

If it’s anything like my town, it’s not short of a coffee shop, charity shop and hairdresser.

 

Take the coffee shops – are they your standard Costa, Nero, Starbucks, Pret? Can you distinguish between them?

What makes these “great” (or rather, easy) is an element of predictability, consistency and familiarity of decor, product, offerings, prices and what to expect. Because they are the same, wherever you go – high street, airport, service station.

But are they GREAT? As a professed coffee snob, I would say that their coffee is second rate. I’d say their decor is a rinse and repeat across all outlets, uninspiring. I’d say that it’s not a memorable experience – it’s functional and often out of necessity.

 

Harsh? Maybe.

 

But I’m lucky to live in a town where we have many, wonderful local baristas who own their coffee shop.

 

Let’s look at them for a moment.

 

>> Passionate enough, nay obsessed, with great coffee to start their own shop (guessing they saw a gap in high quality coffee and filled that).

>> Absolute characters that have their own nuance – paired with fermented foods; a tattoo parlour out the back; cocktail hour and DJ on Friday afternoons; 20 cake offerings the size of small children; served out of an old bus; artisan bakery attached to learn how to make sourdough (or buy it for a steal at just £8 a loaf 😉 )… you get the idea.

>> They all sell coffee. And better coffee that the high street brands.

 

But they are all wildly different.

Wildly wonderful in their own way.

Suitable for every whim you may have.

 

For me, they are great BECAUSE they are different.

 

Is this the trick, is that it?

 

Obviously not. It’s a balancing act between them both. And that balance can largely come down to your own goals as the brand owner, and your audience’s wants.

 

Being different is the only way to stand out from competitors and capture the attention of your audience. This approach is essential if you’re entering a crowded market or competing with well-established brands – like the Costas, Neros and Starbucks of this world.

 

On the other hand, being great focuses on delivering high-quality products or services and exceeding customer expectations – ultimately delivering a cracking brand experience. It helps build a strong reputation, build customer loyalty, and can lead to positive word-of-mouth marketing (which we all know is priceless). This approach is particularly effective if you’re in a market where quality and customer service are crucial, deciding factors in purchasing decisions.

 

For me, being different vs being great come with different strategies and functions –

Different – getting attention, being remarkable, gain a foothold in the market. Gain traction.

Great – sustaining that equity that’s built, retain customers, build loyalty. Maintain traction.

 

What do you think about the values of being different vs / and /or being great?