How to Stand Out From Competitors Without Copying
I once had a client who wanted her logo to look just like her competitor's. It wasn't a "use this for inspiration" situation. She basically wanted the same exact thing.
And I understood why.
This competitor is the biggest name in the industry. Everyone knows them. Her thinking was, "If I look like them, I'll be as successful as them."
It's as if she thought this other company had the secret sauce to success...and all she needed to do was incorporate it in her business.
Here's the problem.
Their logo is not the reason they're successful. (And between you and me, it's not even a great logo.)
They've built a great business in spite of it, not because of it. Other things are doing the heavy lifting: how they treat people, the results customers get from their service, the reputation they've built over the years, etc. They're not successful because of a font.
If you're wondering how to stand out from competitors, copying another business is the one thing that will keep you from it.
Here's the thing: You have a unique opportunity to stand out from the crowd….to have a better website. A better logo. Even better than your competitors!
Success Doesn't Come From the Logo
It's easy to look at the biggest name in your field and think that their branding is the secret. The logo, the colors, the layout of the website, etc.
But think about coffee. Starbucks is the biggest name by a mile. Yet there are plenty of other coffee brands that are wildly successful (Peet's Coffee, Dutch Bros, etc.), and none of them have mermaids on their cups.
They've managed to break through and capture their share of the market even though their look/feel is wildly different from Starbucks.
What made Starbucks successful wasn't the mermaid. And what made your competitor successful wasn't their logo either. Copy the look, and you've copied the one part that wasn't the secret.
Don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying a logo isn’t important. You really, really need a good logo. A logo can definitely work against you if it’s not good. But that alone isn’t going to be why your business is successful.
Nobody Else Can Do It Like You
I hear some version of “I can’t do it because someone else already has” all the time.
“I can't open a coffee shop, there are already three in town.” Or, “I can't write a book on traveling, there are hundreds of them.”
Sure. But nobody else has been in your shoes. Nobody has your personality, your experiences, or your writing style. That's what makes your book different from the other hundred.
The same goes for the coffee shop. Your town's other coffee shops don't have your menu, your store's ambience, or your way of making someone feel welcome when they walk in.
You are what makes it different. And it's the same for any company.
Think of singers who try to sound like Mariah Carey or Celine Dion. "If I could sing like them, I'd be famous! I'd be at the top of the charts!"
Not necessarily.
Taylor Swift isn't known for her impeccable vocal range or her ability to do runs and riffs. But she's genuine and writes from a place of honesty and relatability. She's wildly successful without having to copy another singer's voice.
The same goes for your business. Customers don’t need another version of the big name. They need you.
What Actually Makes You Look Credible
I get it. It's important to look professional.
You want to compete with the bigger names, and you want people to take you seriously. Those are good goals.
But credibility doesn't come from looking like someone else. It comes from:
AUTHENTICITY: Your brand shows who you really are and why you do what you do. People can tell when it’s real.
INTENTIONALITY: You believed your business was worth investing in, and it shows in every detail, from your logo to your website to how your photos are cropped.
CONSISTENCY: Your colors, fonts, and tone are the same everywhere, so people start to recognize you.
RELATABILITY: Your brand is built for your specific audience, not for another company's.
A brand that's authentic, professional, and made for your customers will beat a copy of someone else's every time.
Copies always look like copies, and a copy is always the cheaper, later version.
How to Stand Out From Competitors
If you want to stand out, start here:
Say what only you can say. Your story, your reasons, your way of doing things.
Know who you're talking to. Design for them, not for your competition.
Look at your competitors to see what's missing, not what to copy. Where are they all alike? That's where you can be different.
Be consistent. One look, one voice, everywhere.
Be You
Nobody else is you. That's the whole advantage.
If you've been looking at a competitor and thinking, “I should just do what they do”, I'd love to help you do something better. After 15+ years of designing, I can tell you that the brands people remember are the original ones that reflect the company. Reach out, and let's build something that's yours.
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