How Sharp Is Your Brand's Edge?

In today’s oversaturated economy, brands need to have an edge to stand out.

Decades ago, businesses simply needed a friendly message and a memorable visual to launch a successful venture.

That strategy may have worked then, but not having an edge will hold you back in today's information-drenched market. Without an edge, you become an ingredient instead of the chef.

Your audience will forget your brand when they return to their daily lives.

You won't stand out enough to attract an ideal client.

You won't be remembered to be booked for a keynote.

You won't "walk the walk" enough for people to trust your brand and invest in you.

But edges can vary in sharpness.

From as sharp as a straight razor's blade to as dull as the butter knife you inherited from your grandmother.

Working with leadership brands, I’ve found three of the most common levels of “edge” when it comes to branding.

Let's dive a little deeper into our metaphor.

Butter Knife:

Congeniality + Take = Brand

The Butter Knife formula is the dullest blade; you'll cut through room temperature butter but not much else. Founders with brands in this category are driven by fear, even though it takes a lot of courage to start a business. The truth is that the courage required to start a business is only a fraction of the courage needed to create a brand that truly cuts through.

Steak knife:

Congeniality + Oppositional Take = Brand

This formula gets you closer to standing out, but it takes more work for you and your audience. You have to first make yourself "liked" before you risk sharing an oppositional perspective. This approach to establishing a brand also requires your audience to remain interested through the congeniality phase to experience a shift in their perspective. If you hope to gain attraction by staying status quo first to earn trust and then shift perspective, you risk your audience not sticking around for the transformative moment.

Double-edged sword:

Pattern Interruption + Oppositional Take = Outspoke Brand

This is the brand edge sweet spot; you understand the fundamental thinking behind what drives a great brand.

The first edge of the sword–Pattern Interruption–attracts the maximum amount of attention, and you cut through the noise and stop the scroll.

The second edge–Oppositional Take–shifts your audience's thinking and positions you as the authority on this new perspective. When they start thinking about things differently, they'll refer to the moment of insight they had when they came across your brand.

So, how do you sharpen your brand's edge? Here are three key actions to take:

Tone of Voice

Writing (as opposed to speaking) dulls our tone of voice.

That’s why it’s important to put in the effort to write more like we speak.

This isn’t always easy to do for those of us who have climbed the corporate ladder; however, establishing a unique voice will result in brand recognition and loyalty.

Notice what’s unique about the way you speak, and infuse it in your writing.

Defiance

Naturally, going against the grain is attractive because as humans, we’re wired to look for danger. Our eyes immediately see something that moves into our field of vision. Our ears automatically perk up when something's amiss. When your stance is defiant, people automatically pay attention.

Get Specific

Founders often struggle with wanting to appeal to everyone; however, this is probably the number one mistake they make. In wanting to appeal to everyone, you appeal to precisely no one. It’s important to find the courage to niche down, cut sharper, and improve results.

How to Find Your Edge

Because I work primarily with entrepreneurs and leaders who've already achieved some level of success, I tend to work with steak knife or double-edged sword brands.

From personal experience, I know it's hard to identify your edge on your own. You may have some idea, but the clarity and insight brought by an outside perspective can be transformative. Years of self-awareness, journaling, and discovery will only continue to obfuscate what is obvious to a brand strategist in a 90-minute interview.

If you’re struggling to find your edge and level up your business, book an Outspoke Roadmap and get the strategy you need to cut through to your ideal clients.