Coming Soon: Where’s the Brand
Most strategies skip the most important part: the brand itself. This post explores how purpose, ambition, values, and internal clarity are left out of the traditional process.
This is the third post in The Positioning Lie series, where we expose the outdated models that keep brands stuck—and lay out what it really takes to build one that leads.
It’s natural to watch your competitors. After all, you’re in the same arena, fighting for the same customers. But here’s the problem: when you build your brand around what your competitors are doing (or not doing), you’re already playing from behind. Competitor-centric thinking makes your brand reactive, not proactive. It turns positioning into a cat-and-mouse game. One where your insecurities are always on display.
Yes, competitor insights have value. But that value belongs in campaigns, not at the core of your brand positioning or messaging. Campaigns are short-term plays that highlight an advantage in the moment; these moments can and should be seized in a tactical manner. Brand strategy on the other hand, is the long-term story that grows with you, no matter what competitors do next. Confuse the two, and your brand is destined to become a follower or worse, irrelevant in the eyes of consumers.
Here’s a common example: let’s say you research and analyze your competitors and realize none of them have a loyalty program. That’s your big advantage, the key insight, the differentiator that separates you from the pack. Well, maybe not.
The positioning model we’re exposing, and those who swear by it, would have you believe that this is a key finding that will set your brand free and strengthen your position in the market. While it may be important to do something with this information, the “What” is crucial. The Flawed Model will dictate that it be used for rebranding your entire positioning around “Loyalty and Rewards.” This positioning ends up becoming a dead end. Why? Because loyalty programs are a feature, a product, not a story. Customers will tire of the hearing about points, rewards, your loyalty to them, their loyalty to you, etc. Competitors can and will copy it, and will probably be better at it. And worst of all, your brand becomes anchored to a message with no room to grow and no new life to the story.
A better option? Use the findings to run a campaign. When you find insights that suggest your competition is lacking in an area, take advantage and pull together a compelling campaign, one that communicates the value and benefit to the customer but that is tailored to fit into the story of your brand. By the time your competitors respond, it’s too late; you’re on to the next thing, leading the industry.
This isn’t just theory. A 2022 Bain & Company study on corporate sustainability positioning showed that brands who anchored their core identity in reactive, competitive claims—such as being “greener” or “more sustainable” than rivals—struggled to maintain differentiation over time. Competitors quickly matched or outpaced their claims, leaving brands scrambling to reposition again. By contrast, companies that tied their positioning to their own mission, values, and long-term vision outperformed peers in both consumer trust and resilience to market shifts.
The evidence is clear: competitor-centric positioning creates fragile brands. Mission-centric positioning creates enduring ones.
...companies that tied their positioning to their own mission, values, and long-term vision outperformed peers in both consumer trust and resilience to market shifts.
Consider Apple. Critics often point out that Apple is “late” to features, whether it’s a new chip, a better camera, or a foldable display. And yet, Apple is still perceived as the world’s most innovative tech company. Why? Because they don’t position themselves as the company that got there first. They position themselves as the company that makes it better.
Apple’s story isn’t about specs. It’s about empowering creativity, simplicity, and forward-thinking design. Their competitors can launch features early, but Apple reframes the conversation entirely. That’s the power of being mission-centric rather than competitor-centric.
That’s the power of being mission-centric...
This isn’t to say you should ignore competitors. Competitive insights matter, but they matter in the right context. Use them to drive campaigns. Use them to spot opportunities for short-term wins. But don’t let them define your brand.
Because once your story depends on what competitors are—or aren’t—doing, you’ve given them the steering wheel.
The stronger path? Look inward. Let your mission, values, and vision guide the brand story. That’s where resilience, differentiation, and long-term growth come from. Competitors can copy features. They can’t copy a brand with a clear, confident identity.
Competitor-centric thinking feels safe. But safety is an illusion. The brands that lead are the ones that refuse to let competitors dictate their story.
That’s the lie we’re exposing here: positioning yourself against others is not positioning at all. It’s reaction. And it will always leave you a step behind.
Coming Soon: Where's the Brand
Most strategies skip the most important part: the brand itself. This post explores how purpose, ambition, values, and internal clarity are left out of the traditional process.
© 2025 Barrett Reynolds, a Reynolds Family Brands LLC company. All Rights Reserved.
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