How Brands Grow Part 2 Pdf May 2026

“Are for you, not for them,” Maya finished. “What drives growth is distinctiveness , not differentiation. You don’t need to be better. You need to be more often noticed and more often remembered in buying situations.”

“Your ‘Love & Loyalty’ campaign asked people to think hard,” Maya said. “That’s exhausting. Instead, run simple, repetitive ads that link your brand to a buying situation. ‘Need a ride? Uber.’ ‘Running low? Colgate.’ That’s it.” Leo’s phone buzzed—his creative team asking for a “unique selling proposition.”

“But we tried to fight that with a ‘niche loyalty’ campaign!” Leo protested. How Brands Grow Part 2 Pdf

“Make the brand easy to buy everywhere your buyer might be. Not just your ‘premium channel.’ Everywhere. If they can’t find you, they can’t buy you.”

She cited a study from the book: In 95% of purchase situations, buyers do not consciously ‘consider’ a brand. They just grab what comes to mind first. “Are for you, not for them,” Maya finished

“And you failed because you violated the ,” Maya said. “People don’t have one ‘soulmate’ brand. They have a repertoire —a shopping list of 3–5 brands they rotate through. Your job is to be on as many repertoires as possible.”

She gave an example: “Red Bull tastes like medicine. But it is distinctive —the tall silver-blue can, the ‘gives you wings’ cue. That’s mental availability. Monster tastes similar, but its green claw logo is another cue. Neither is ‘better.’ Both grow by being distinct .” Leo pulled out his dashboard: “We track NPS, social likes, and share of voice.” You need to be more often noticed and

“Look at your category,” she said. “Big brands have two advantages: (market penetration) and slightly higher loyalty . Small brands have fewer buyers and their buyers are slightly less loyal. That’s Double Jeopardy.”