This episode is fiery right from the start. Chris talks with brand strategist, Stef Hamerlinck, about the nuance of branding and why it matters. Though, the two don’t necessarily agree about any of it.

Stef has been a fan of The Futur for quite some time and has learned plenty about branding from our content. Now, working in the field himself, he’s encountering interesting coincidences and occurrences that sort of break the status quo, per se, of branding.

Take differentiation, for example. By definition, differentiation in branding means your brand has a unique edge that makes it stand out from the crowd in a way that attracts customers. Marty Neumeier points out in his book, Zag, that brands must be different and good.

What Stef points out, though, is that not all brands necessarily have to be different, and most brands aren’t really all that different. Visual identities help us distinguish brand A versus B, but if they’re both selling lemon-lime soda, their positioning is relatively the same.

He also adds that most people often buy products based on its physical and mental availability. If brand A is more widely available in vending machines, restaurants, and venues across the globe, and you see more of A’s advertising than B’s, you’ll quickly determine brand A is better than B.

Stef also adds that while visual identity is important, it’s not what creates “brand tribes.”

Now, that’s just the first ten minutes of this conversation.

If you are interested in branding, strategy and enjoy a healthy debate then you will love this episode. Chris and Stef get deep into the weeds of brand purpose, brand differentiation and why it's important for a brand to be just as good as it is unique. It's a talk about Coke versus Pepsi and McDonald's versus In 'n Out. Which is better? Only you can decide.

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