{"id":16051,"date":"2023-02-27T10:02:47","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T10:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&p=16051"},"modified":"2023-02-27T10:02:48","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T10:02:48","slug":"charles-vallance-distinctly-different","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2023\/feb\/charles-vallance-distinctly-different","title":{"rendered":"Charles Vallance: Distinctly different"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When <\/span>did <\/span>you <\/span>last <\/span>win <\/span>an <\/span>argument<\/span>?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For <\/span>most <\/span>people<\/span>, <\/span>it’s <\/span>not <\/span>an <\/span>easy <\/span>question <\/span>to answer<\/span>. <\/span>Because <\/span>in <\/span>most <\/span>arguments<\/span>, <\/span>neither <\/span>side <\/span>wins<\/span>. <\/span>From <\/span>the <\/span>serious <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>trivial<\/span>, <\/span>we <\/span>tend <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>mule<\/span>–<\/span>like <\/span>in <\/span>our <\/span>attachment <\/span>to <\/span>a <\/span>pre<\/span>–<\/span>conceived <\/span>opinion<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether <\/span>it <\/span>involves <\/span>binary <\/span>arguments like Brexit<\/span>\/<\/span>Remain<\/span>, <\/span>or <\/span>more <\/span>nuanced <\/span>arguments <\/span>around <\/span>social <\/span>etiquette <\/span>such <\/span>as <\/span>whether <\/span>an <\/span>apology <\/span>is <\/span>sincere <\/span>or <\/span>perfunctory<\/span>, <\/span>whether <\/span>you <\/span>or the <\/span>other <\/span>car <\/span>should <\/span>give <\/span>way<\/span>, <\/span>whether <\/span>you <\/span>should <\/span>or shouldn’t <\/span>use <\/span>your <\/span>phone <\/span>during a <\/span>family <\/span>meal <\/span>etc<\/span>; <\/span>people <\/span>will <\/span>have <\/span>their <\/span>fixed views <\/span>and will<\/span>, <\/span>generally<\/span>, <\/span>stick <\/span>to <\/span>them<\/span>. <\/span>(<\/span>And <\/span>the <\/span>answer <\/span>is<\/span>, <\/span>no<\/span>, <\/span>you shouldn’t <\/span>use <\/span>your <\/span>phone <\/span>during <\/span>a <\/span>family <\/span>meal<\/span>.<\/span>)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More <\/span>than <\/span>50 <\/span>years <\/span>ago<\/span>, <\/span>in <\/span>his <\/span>book <\/span>the <\/span>Theory <\/span>of <\/span>Cognitive <\/span>Dissonance<\/span>, <\/span>Leon <\/span>Festinger <\/span>demonstrated <\/span>that <\/span>the <\/span>brain <\/span>is <\/span>deeply <\/span>reluctant <\/span>to <\/span>modify <\/span>its <\/span>beliefs <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>cognitions <\/span>which <\/span>form <\/span>them<\/span>. <\/span>Therefore<\/span>, <\/span>any <\/span>attempt <\/span>to <\/span>change <\/span>someone’s <\/span>mind <\/span>in <\/span>a <\/span>head<\/span>–<\/span>on <\/span>manner <\/span>is <\/span>likely <\/span>to <\/span>fail<\/span>. <\/span>More <\/span>recently<\/span>, <\/span>Hahnemann <\/span>has <\/span>demonstrated <\/span>how <\/span>deep <\/span>seated <\/span>and <\/span>instinctive <\/span>so <\/span>many <\/span>of <\/span>our <\/span>beliefs <\/span>and <\/span>decisions <\/span>remain<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For <\/span>both these <\/span>reasons<\/span>, <\/span>arguments <\/span>generally <\/span>don’t <\/span>work<\/span>. <\/span>Indeed<\/span>, <\/span>I’d <\/span>go <\/span>so <\/span>far <\/span>as <\/span>to <\/span>say <\/span>that<\/span>, <\/span>once <\/span>you’ve <\/span>started <\/span>to <\/span>have <\/span>an <\/span>argument <\/span>with <\/span>someone<\/span>, <\/span>you’ve <\/span>already <\/span>begun <\/span>to <\/span>lose them<\/span>. <\/span>And even <\/span>if you <\/span>do <\/span>technically <\/span>make <\/span>your <\/span>point they <\/span>won’t <\/span>exactly <\/span>thank you <\/span>for <\/span>it<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But <\/span>many <\/span>brands <\/span>still <\/span>act <\/span>as <\/span>if <\/span>rational <\/span>argument <\/span>is <\/span>the <\/span>way <\/span>forward<\/span>. <\/span>They <\/span>lead <\/span>with <\/span>marginal <\/span>points of <\/span>difference<\/span>, <\/span>they <\/span>load <\/span>their <\/span>communication <\/span>with <\/span>less <\/span>than <\/span>fascinating <\/span>product information<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>the <\/span>process, <\/span>distinctiveness <\/span>is <\/span>too <\/span>often <\/span>sacrificed <\/span>in <\/span>favour <\/span>of <\/span>differentiation<\/span>. <\/span>And <\/span>this <\/span>trade <\/span>off <\/span>can <\/span>prove <\/span>very <\/span>costly<\/span>. <\/span>Because <\/span>if <\/span>you <\/span>sacrifice <\/span>distinctiveness <\/span>you <\/span>sacrifice <\/span>memorability<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>if <\/span>no <\/span>one <\/span>remembers <\/span>your <\/span>(<\/span>possibly arcane<\/span>) <\/span>point <\/span>of <\/span>difference<\/span>, <\/span>what <\/span>was <\/span>the <\/span>logic <\/span>for <\/span>trying <\/span>to <\/span>communicate <\/span>it <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>first place<\/span>?<\/p>\n

Mental <\/span>availability <\/span>has <\/span>become<\/span>, <\/span>by <\/span>some <\/span>distance<\/span>, <\/span>the <\/span>modern <\/span>communication <\/span>imperative<\/span>. <\/span>You <\/span>have <\/span>to <\/span>win <\/span>a <\/span>foothold <\/span>of <\/span>memorability <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>mind of <\/span>your <\/span>prospect <\/span>before <\/span>you <\/span>can <\/span>begin <\/span>to <\/span>consider <\/span>telling <\/span>more of <\/span>your <\/span>story<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>imparting <\/span>the <\/span>more granular <\/span>detail <\/span>of <\/span>product <\/span>and <\/span>service <\/span>rationale<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s <\/span>not <\/span>that <\/span>distinctiveness precludes <\/span>differentiation<\/span>, <\/span>far <\/span>from <\/span>it<\/span>. <\/span>It’s <\/span>just <\/span>that <\/span>one <\/span>must <\/span>come <\/span>before <\/span>the <\/span>other<\/span>. <\/span>To <\/span>coin <\/span>a <\/span>clumsy <\/span>new <\/span>word<\/span>, <\/span>you <\/span>have to <\/span>‘<\/span>distinctivate<\/span>‘ <\/span>before <\/span>you <\/span>differentiate <\/span>– <\/span>because your <\/span>distinctive <\/span>brand <\/span>assets are <\/span>the <\/span>hook <\/span>on <\/span>which <\/span>to <\/span>hang\u00a0<\/span>the <\/span>many <\/span>details <\/span>and <\/span>nudges <\/span>that <\/span>might <\/span>help <\/span>sway <\/span>a <\/span>sale <\/span>or <\/span>influence <\/span>a <\/span>behaviour<\/span>. <\/span>Without <\/span>the <\/span>hook<\/span>, <\/span>you <\/span>have <\/span>no <\/span>persuasion<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>sophists <\/span>amongst <\/span>you <\/span>will <\/span>say<\/span>, <\/span>ah <\/span>but <\/span>sometimes your <\/span>difference <\/span>is <\/span>your <\/span>distinction<\/span>, <\/span>there <\/span>is <\/span>no <\/span>meaningful separation <\/span>between <\/span>the <\/span>two<\/span>. <\/span>And <\/span>you’d <\/span>be <\/span>right<\/span>. <\/span>Duracell <\/span>is <\/span>a <\/span>great <\/span>example <\/span>of <\/span>how <\/span>to <\/span>make <\/span>a <\/span>distinctive <\/span>brand <\/span>asset <\/span>out <\/span>of <\/span>a <\/span>point <\/span>of <\/span>difference<\/span>. <\/span>In <\/span>a <\/span>low <\/span>interest<\/span>, <\/span>low <\/span>frequency <\/span>category <\/span>it <\/span>has <\/span>made <\/span>itself <\/span>memorable <\/span>around <\/span>a <\/span>core <\/span>product <\/span>benefit<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But <\/span>there <\/span>are <\/span>plenty <\/span>more <\/span>examples <\/span>of <\/span>brands <\/span>we <\/span>remember because <\/span>of <\/span>their <\/span>distinctiveness<\/span>, <\/span>because <\/span>of <\/span>their <\/span>meerkat<\/span>, <\/span>their <\/span>black <\/span>horse<\/span>, <\/span>their <\/span>blue <\/span>and <\/span>bubbles<\/span>, <\/span>their swoosh<\/span>, <\/span>their <\/span>yodel<\/span>, <\/span>their <\/span>contour <\/span>bottle<\/span>, <\/span>their <\/span>golden arches<\/span>. <\/span>These <\/span>brands <\/span>tend <\/span>to <\/span>be more <\/span>multi<\/span>–<\/span>dimensional <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>benefits <\/span>they <\/span>offer <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>stories <\/span>they <\/span>have <\/span>to <\/span>tell<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paradoxically<\/span>, <\/span>brands <\/span>built on <\/span>the high <\/span>order principles <\/span>of <\/span>distinctiveness<\/span>, <\/span>also <\/span>tend <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>best <\/span>equipped <\/span>when <\/span>it <\/span>comes <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>low <\/span>order <\/span>business <\/span>of <\/span>hard<\/span>–<\/span>nosed <\/span>trading <\/span>and <\/span>sales <\/span>activitity<\/span>. <\/span>Like <\/span>all tactical <\/span>communication<\/span>, <\/span>their <\/span>low <\/span>order <\/span>messaging <\/span>won’t <\/span>be <\/span>remembered <\/span>for <\/span>long<\/span>, <\/span>but <\/span>it <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>better attributed<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>it <\/span>will <\/span>cut <\/span>through <\/span>the <\/span>noise<\/span>. <\/span>It <\/span>will <\/span>sell <\/span>better<\/span>, <\/span>because <\/span>distinctiveness <\/span>allows <\/span>detailed messaging <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>assimilated more <\/span>readily <\/span>and <\/span>thus <\/span>acted <\/span>upon <\/span>more <\/span>easily<\/span>. <\/span>The <\/span>more <\/span>you <\/span>distinctivate<\/span>, <\/span>the <\/span>more <\/span>you <\/span>can <\/span>activate<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My <\/span>first <\/span>boss <\/span>used <\/span>to <\/span>say <\/span>that <\/span>a <\/span>strong <\/span>brand <\/span>gives your <\/span>product <\/span>a <\/span>first <\/span>class <\/span>ticket <\/span>through <\/span>life<\/span>. <\/span>And <\/span>the modern <\/span>hallmark <\/span>of <\/span>a <\/span>strong <\/span>brand <\/span>is <\/span>indelibly branded <\/span>distinctiveness<\/span>. <\/span>This <\/span>is <\/span>the <\/span>measure <\/span>of <\/span>first<\/span>–<\/span>class <\/span>communication<\/span>. <\/span>No <\/span>argument <\/span>about <\/span>it<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":61,"template":"","categories":[191],"class_list":["post-16051","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-agency-news"],"acf":{"author":{"ID":930,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2020-07-02 12:04:34","post_date_gmt":"2020-07-02 11:04:34","post_content":"","post_title":"Charles Vallance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"charles-vallance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-01-19 12:22:45","post_modified_gmt":"2026-01-19 12:22:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=people&p=930","menu_order":0,"post_type":"people","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},"capability_ids":[],"client_id":"","hero_video":"","hero_image":{"ID":14650,"id":14650,"title":"Charles V website","filename":"Charles-V-website.png","filesize":2179106,"url":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website.png","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2022\/feb\/whats-the-point-of-the-proof-point\/attachment\/charles-v-website","alt":"","author":"57","description":"","caption":"","name":"charles-v-website","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":14649,"date":"2022-02-28 09:02:25","modified":"2022-02-28 09:02:25","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1080,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-300x169.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-768x432.png","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":360,"large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-1024x576.png","large-width":640,"large-height":360,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-1536x864.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":864,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website.png","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1080,"Header":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-1920x720.png","Header-width":1920,"Header-height":720,"Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-1920x960.png","Wide-width":1920,"Wide-height":960,"Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-768x768.png","Square-width":768,"Square-height":768,"Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-307x615.png","Tall-width":307,"Tall-height":615,"Mobile":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-768x960.png","Mobile-width":768,"Mobile-height":960,"Facebook":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-1200x630.png","Facebook-width":1200,"Facebook-height":630,"Grid-Item-Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-768x768.png","Grid-Item-Square-width":768,"Grid-Item-Square-height":768,"Grid-Item-Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-768x384.png","Grid-Item-Wide-width":768,"Grid-Item-Wide-height":384,"Grid-Item-Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Charles-V-website-307x615.png","Grid-Item-Tall-width":307,"Grid-Item-Tall-height":615}},"meta-title":"Charles Vallance: Distinctly Different ","meta-description":"When did you last win an argument? 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