Quick—name the coffee company that was founded in the 
1970s in Seattle and has hundreds of locations worldwide. Did you guess Starbucks? You’re wrong. It’s Seattle’s Best.
Here, try another. What company helps do-it-yourself movers and has expanded from a three-location rental business to a multibillion-dollar transportation services company? Bet you guessed U-Haul. Wrong again. It’s Penske.
In the world of healthcare IT, which brand would you say is more dominant: NextGen or AllScripts? Epic or Siemens? Intel or IBM? Which brands always seem to have the spotlight and which brands get over-looked?
Each of these companies are vibrant, well-known companies; however, one always seems to be in the shadow of its competition (or in Seattle’s Best’s situation, their parent company). If the companies have brands we see almost every day, why does one brand stand out over the other? It could be that one makes more money, has more locations or has been around a little longer; however, it’s more likely that one company had a better branding strategy than the other.
Every industry—whether it’s transportation, beverages, healthcare or technology –has similar situations and can learn a lesson from this story. Don’t be that guy in your industry. Don’t be the guy whose business does everything right—sells quality products, has excellent customer service and delivers solutions to the marketplace—but whose brand falls in the shadow of another.
To make sure you aren’t that guy, look and see if you’re generating a buzz around your brand. This requires companies to be creative, controversial, consistent, compelling and conversational. U-Haul is creative because it puts postcard pictures of different U.S. cities on the side of its trucks. Starbucks is consistent because their logo has always been circular with the Siren in the middle. Both companies have also had controversial and compelling messages to share throughout their history, and all of these things have created meaningful conversations about their brands. Thus, a buzz around their brand was created.
So whether your company is small or large, mainstream or obscure, remember it’s essential to make sure your market knows who you are and what you do when you’re implementing your branding strategy. Whatever you do, don’t be that guy.
