What is a "Designed Advantage" in Branding?

This is about, yes, Design but also Strategy. And what better way to bring it all together, in a true Kansas City fashion, than through Ted Lasso? (We're bringing in more than golf analogies here.)

Advantage isn’t always about the features, the benefits, or even the industry you serve. Sometimes it’s not even a “desirable” trait in everyone’s eyes. But it could be in the right group or setting.

Advantage isn’t always about being the best. Sometimes it’s just about finding what’s different about your people and leaning into that.

OKAY, SO HOW IS AN ADVANTAGE "DESIGNED"?

It’s designed because it is both by design and utilizing design. 

It is by design because we’re playing to our strengths or “playing where we can win”

We’re not chasing trends and tactics that aren’t us, because those aren’t the players we have on the field, and those aren’t the shots we’re equipped to take.

The focus is on these three things:

1. You

We’re taking an honest look at our people, the ones running our business, and finding what is true about us. What do we do best? What do we love to do? What would we rather do less of, if we’re honest? (And many many more of these questions)

2. CUSTOMERS

Then we’re looking at our customers. Why do they choose us? Why do they recommend us to their people? How can we serve them better? (And many more of these questions)

3. The Field

And of course, we’re looking at our competitors in the field. We can make better decisions on how we differentiate ourselves from our competition based on who we are and the customers we serve. How can we stand out? How do we sound or look different from the field? What do we do really well, that they don’t? How do customers distinguish us from them? (And many more of these questions)

You're sensing a theme with the questions. In this process, it's best to be curious, not judgmental.

Once these three things take shape, you start to see what the personnel looks like, what the opponent is doing, and how you can use your strategy to play your best game. Oi!

Only when we know who we are by design, in our strategy, can we start utilizing design to express it. This narrows the focus on how we can build design systems to provide “visual shortcuts” to our company’s strategy.

In this way, we are utilizing design to show who we are by design.

The execution in this is beyond visual branding and also encompasses how we sound - our tone, the language we use, and the messaging that forms our verbal identity. It's in our brand name. It's in our company culture. It's in our consistent execution.

As it turns out, everything that rests on our designed advantage is how others experience our brand, and ultimately choose us.

If you’re taking the first step on a rebranding, naming, or a building a completely new business - Just know it won’t be all blue skies and green lights. It can start out a little uncomfortable, maybe even a bit frustrating, but it’s worth it.

"Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn't it? If you're comfortable while you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong."

- Ted Lasso

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