What sets one brand apart from another is no longer the logo, or even the idea. Everyone’s logo is modern, and everyone’s idea is “inspiring”.
Here is the irony: in trying to look different, brands have turned sameness into a marketing strategy.
“Next-gen, energetic, authentic, sustainable”: which brand is not saying these four words today? No word belongs to anyone any more.
Without noticing that they are copying each other, brands read the same consultancy reports, believe the same research findings and address the same audiences in the same formats. In the end they all get squeezed into the same tone of voice: safe, risk-free and sterile.
Sameness is a comfort zone
Sameness is not really a choice; it is a comfort zone. Being different carries the risk of being misunderstood. But brands no longer want to take risks; they want approval. And to be approved, it is enough to say “I’m just like them.”
Creative agencies are among the architects of this comfort zone. Every brief starts with the promise to “differentiate this brand”, yet after the first round of approvals the process turns into research on “how did the competitor do it?” That is the moment difference dies and similarity is born.
Characters turned into templates
This cycle runs deeper than communication; it reaches strategy too. Even brand archetypes have become templates. Everyone wants to be the “explorer”. Everyone wants to be the “creator”. But no one actually carries a character; they just strike a pose.
The real problem is this: in trying to become more human, brands have drifted away from people. Being human means making mistakes, and brand teams want perfection, not mistakes. Perfection is the deadliest filter of all; it turns every colour into the same grey.
So what is the answer?
Not trying to look different in order to be different, but daring to think differently. Finding a different insight, choosing a different word, taking a different risk.
Brands should communicate to be remembered, not just to be liked. Because these days everyone gets liked, but sadly no one is remembered.
