Originality – it all starts with Oscar Wilde

Recently the phrase ‘algorithmic soup’ has been used to describe the current tsunami of content we all wade through on the daily. Content is being seen in chunks of a few seconds at a time, across multiple channels, dictated by platform algorithms – instead of in the linear way that brands are used to telling their stories. 

As a result, we are drowning in mediocre content that relies on a baited hook or overdone trend to grab attention. Even worse, the content being put in front of you is being decided by an algorithm. You haven’t even chosen to see it.  

Originality is lauded by marketers but the current media landscape forces us to ask – is creative originality even possible nowadays and where do you start? 

The short answer comes from Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself, because everyone else is taken”. 

Whether you’re the face of your business trying to share something insightful on LinkedIn or the CMO of a brand desperate to reach new audiences around the world – the same rule applies. Who are you really and why does it matter? 

Trouble is, not everyone truly knows who they are. Even some big brands lose themselves along the way. 

This is why Originality is one of the cornerstones of our 7-stage Original Thinking marketing methodologies. Sounds obvious, but there is an art to being original and it requires you to really analyse what you stand for. 

Let’s start with a B2B business.  

Many mistakes have been made with short-term views on issues like the environment or diversity, instead of truly developing an authentic brand stance on what’s going on in the world around us. 

Our Brand Stance Strategy helps B2B brands define their cultural stance in their category (e.g., sustainability in manufacturing, diversity in tech, or ethical AI in SaaS), moving them away from generic thought leadership, toward a distinctive POV that aligns with the cultural conversations audiences actually care about – effectively giving them a brand manifesto that they can lean into over time to build a solid reputation and long-term brand value that is unique to them. 

Consumer brands have an even harder job to stay relevant. 

With consumer mindsets spinning on a dime and engagement metrics relying on what’s trending today. The lure of trends and demand for relevance is making many marketers heads spin. Our viewpoint on this is that those focussing on being relevant today, without knowing where it fits tomorrow are the ones who will lose. 

Defining a Cultural Brand Strategy is specifically relevant for social to avoid trend-chasing with no long-term differentiation and lost time and budget on volume content creation to meet algorithmic demands. 

Nailing your colours to the cultural space your brand owns, how it behaves within it, what and who it aligns with allows marketing teams to double down on that in content strategies. Being 100% clear on who you are and what you stand for opens many new avenues to explore for brand partnerships, campaigns and earned value. 

We can all name a brand we think has a ‘uniqueness’ but how do we apply original thinking in our own business? Here are our five tips to get you started: 

Remember where you started

Before processes, restrictions and corporate lenses were applied – what did the scrappy beginning look like? Peeling back the layers to find the meaning in what you do again is important. Then make sure you bake in opportunities to continually defend what matters so you don’t lose yourself along the way. 

What you do is worth more than what you say

Being clear on the boundaries you have in place in your business to meet your values gives your audience more trust in you. Saying no to behaviours, bandwagons or imperfect partnerships is the best way you can stay true and original to your roots. 

“The riches are in the niches” as they say in the US

Having total clarity about who doesn’t matter to your brand and avoiding the temptation to keep stretching your audience at the sides to take in more numbers makes your story more relevant, helps it resonate more deeply and is therefore more original. 

Stay consistent

Now more than ever the most original thing you can do be steadfast in what you stand for. What you talk about gives your customers a safe harbour; a sense of calm that you are who you say you are. They need to know that you won’t be changing what you mean to them every five minutes. 

But don’t be irrelevant!

Being consistent doesn’t mean ignoring the fact that the world around you is constantly changing. Think hard about what that emerging environment means and react in a way that makes sense to your customers.  

Let’s Talk

To speak to our strategy team about building an original positioning that makes your brand stand out from the noise, get in touch with us.