Focus on what sets us apart

This is not another piece about "unique value propositions." It’s an attempt to answer one of the most crucial questions that designers, marketers, and brand leaders are asking today: how can we make our brand truly stand out — and not just on a mood board?

In a world where algorithms generate logos in seconds and websites look like copies from the same component library, brand design is becoming not only an aesthetic challenge but also a strategic one.

It’s no longer just about being “nice” or “legible.” It’s about being remembered.

I’m writing this article for those who have a real impact on how a brand looks, sounds, and behaves. For designers, strategists, product owners, and founders who feel like their brand is starting to fade into the background. For those who want to do things differently but don’t know where to start.

I won’t serve up ready-made solutions here. Instead, I’ll show you how we at fellowheads think about differentiation and how you can turn "being different" into a strategic advantage.

Why is it important?

Brands Are Blending Together. One website looks like the next. Logos are geometric and impersonal. Even briefs increasingly begin with, "Take inspiration from Notion or Airbnb." Meanwhile, the consumer doesn’t want "another pretty thing." They’re looking for meaning. They’re searching for what stands out and resonates.

Barry Schwartz wrote about the "paradox of choice." The more options there are, the more confusion arises. In the face of oversupply, differentiation is no longer an option, but a requirement for survival.

Why do brands end up looking the same?

It’s not just about aesthetics. Global code libraries, template-based thinking, pitch deck templates, and the growing pressure of time have turned design into something akin to a digital product: fast, consistent, and predictable. AI further accelerates this convergence. Models learn from the past, and the past is mostly filled with mediocre things.

Our approach: empathy + process + culture

Let’s return to the fundamentals. Every brand has some potential for “uniqueness.” The question is: can we bring it out and amplify it?

At Fellowheads, we start with the truth. We look for it in the product, experience, price, distribution channel, or social purpose. But finding that truth isn’t enough. We need to filter it through cultural context and the user’s emotions.

At Fellowheads, we don’t design for founders or an "Excel target." We design for people. We listen, have conversations, analyze data, but we always return to the emotions: What does the user feel? What hurts them? What moves them?

For us, branding is about co-creating meaning. Strategy isn’t a brief. It’s a conversation, an exchange, building a brand image that can then be translated into design, communication, and experience.

It’s no coincidence that brands like Dyson or Monzo were able to build a narrative around technology that can’t be easily replicated. Or that Tinder doesn’t just sell a “dating app,” but a habitual swipe gesture that’s permanently embedded in culture.

I still admire the Tony's Chocolonely case – a brand that talks about slavery in the chocolate industry through colorful packaging and Willy Wonka-style storytelling. It’s a brand that knows what “the inconvenient truth” is and knows how to turn it into a compelling narrative.

We love brands that break the mold. Take DAWTONA, for example. For years, it was associated with old-school branding and "PRL-era" products. But the latest packaging and storytelling change — instead of forcing modernity, Dawtona embraced quality, locality, and pride in tradition. The result? An authentic brand, not one that’s “modernized for the sake of it.”

Does it work? it depends

Czasem warto wyjść z konwencji, ale nie zawsze. Rebranding Jaguar w 2024 r. był odważny, ale tak bardzo oderwany od kontekstu motoryzacji, że zdezorientował odbiorców. Sometimes it’s worth stepping out of the convention, but not always. The 2024 Jaguar rebranding was bold, but it was so disconnected from the context of the automotive industry that it confused the audience.

Z kolei Liquid Death robi wszystko "na opak", ale ich komunikacja to system – to nie chaos, tylko wyrazisty kod kulturowy.

Rekomendacje

Zacznij od prawdy. Co jest naprawdę wartościowe w Twojej ofercie?

Zbuduj emocję. Nie co robisz, ale jak się z tym czuje klient.

Zaprojektuj system, nie grafikę. Marka musi żyć w TikToku, UX, obsłudze klienta i prezentacji funderskiej.

Testuj reakcje, nie gusta. Emocjonalny odbiór jest ważniejszy niż "czy mi się podoba".

Dbaj o sens. Branding nie powinien być dekoracją. Powinien pomagać robić mniej, ale lepiej.

• Zamiast szukać „czegoś innego” – zacznij od „co w Tobie wyjątkowego”.
• Zamiast benchmarków – zadaj sobie pytanie: co chcę, żeby ludzie czuli, kiedy widzą moją markę?
• Zamiast poprawności – odrobina ryzyka. W designie, copy, nawet w kanale dotarcia.
• Zamiast myślenia kwartalnego – odwaga myślenia długofalowego.

‍Podsumowanie

Nie ma jednej formuły na wyróżnienie się. Ale jest jedna zasada: bądź szczery. Zamiast gonić za trendami, stwórz język, który jest twój. Design to nie pokaz slajdów. To narzędzie tworzenia znaczeń. A w erze nadmiaru tylko znaczenie zostaje w głowie.

Chcesz podyskutować? Masz wątpliwości? Napisz. Nie musimy myśleć tak samo, ale możemy myśleć głębiej.