It’s been a busy month for new business in Truly Deeply, which we’re all loving. Lots of new clients, new projects and interesting branding challenges for us to tackle. But one new business meeting in particular stands out at the moment, not because the size of the client or project, but because its proof of the value to a business of brand differentiation.

In a first for me we had a kick off meeting with a business owner and their legal representation. They are attempting to legally stop a competitor from using their name in SEO, paid ads and urls. The problem is their name, while descriptive, is completely generic. So is their brand identity. So the legal advice is to either keep playing a very expensive game of whack-a-mole with them or rename and rebrand the business.

We’ve always believed in the effectiveness of good branding: it better leverages every dollar spent in communication and promotion. And we know that great brands are truly differentiated form the competition and category so they not only stand out but create their own unique space. Now we have it from solid legal advice whenever you think of working on your brand you must work to differentiate. Only then will the brand and the business have any value beyond it’s assets.

Derek Carroll

Derek is the Creative Partner at Truly Deeply, a brand agency with 25 years experience working with brands to position them for growth. His deep expertise is in creating beautiful, effective and unique brand identities that bring strategy to life and resonate with audiences. Derek has extensive experience developing consumer, business, community and government brands.
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