Differentiation through branding, not the product

What if your branding was the differentiation instead of your product?

I hear a lot of streetwear brands trying to differentiate themselves by product, only to find out it's ineffective.

Let's have a look at some common differentiation statements and I'll break each one down:

1. "We make high quality products"

‍Anyone with $100 can create a high-quality garment. It's not a genuine differentiation because it's simply not different.

2. "we have a good sense of style"

‍Firstly, style is subjective. It's a little like marketing a restaurant as "you like this food". Secondly, the world has a plentiful supply of good designers making aesthetic designs. So once again, not a meaningful difference.

3. "Our clothes are comfortable"

‍The very fact that you're buying fabrics from a factory that other brands buy from means that the comfort of your garment is not unique to your brand.

Am I suggesting that you shouldn't sell garments to the likes of the descriptions above? Absolutely not. In fact, I believe comfortable, quality and well-designed garments are to be expected....

But they aren't differentiations.

Because here's the thing:

‍There are all to many streetwear brands with comfortable, high-quality, and well designed garments that don't sell.

And 9 times out of 10, your product alone isn't enough the land the sale.

My point is this:

‍By selling the idea behind your clothing instead of the clothing itself,

you make your brand the differentiation. Not your product.

So what's your 'Big Idea'?

Truly,

Elijah