In our hyper-competitive world, standing out from the crowd has never been more important. Financial results from the world’s biggest advertising network WPP, run by ad boss Sir Martin Sorrell, underscore the importance of differentiation in today’s challenging economy.

1. DARETOBE
DIFFERENT
HOW B2B COMPANIES CAN USE A CONTENT
MARKETING AGENCY TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD.
tomorrow-people.com

2. FOREWORD:
How to survive in the era of killer competition.
INTRO:
Being great is no longer enough.
HOWTOBEDIFFERENT:
Get your differentiation takeaways and use our tool to
find out how different you really are.
CONCLUSION:
Differentiation prerequisites and takeaways.
CONTENTS
03
07
15
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3. FOREWORD
HOWTOSURVIVE
INTHEERAOF
KILLERCOMPETITION
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4. In our hyper-competitive world,
standing out from the crowd
has never been more important.
Financial results from the
world’s biggest advertising
network WPP, run by ad boss Sir
Martin Sorrell, underscore the
importance of differentiation in
today’s challenging economy.
Announcing a near 5% fall
in billings in the first half
of 2017 on a constant
currency measure, WPP
pointed to low global
growth, technological
disruption, and shrinking
ad budgets as global
corporations cut costs.
To make headway in this flatlining
economy, businesses need to reconsider
how they are perceived in their markets.
Are they just one of a crowd offering
good but indistinguishable products? Or
do they have a distinctive offer, approach
and image that burns their name into the
minds of their consumers so they are
remembered for years to come?
“INTHE LASTYEAR OR SO,
GROWTH HAS BECOME EVEN MORE
DIFFICULTTO FIND,”SAYS WPP.
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5. Will your company be remembered or
forgotten? Are you out in front or just
another runner? For those involved
in selling services and products to
businesses, differentiation becomes ever
more vital.
SOYOUWANTTOBEDIFFERENT?
Then you’re in the right place. Dare to be Different
gives you what you need to make your content
marketing stand out from the crowd in the era of killer
competition and attract more customers, provide
a better customer experience, and increase your
retention and loyalty rates. We’ll share in sights into:
GRANDOR
BLAND?

6. 40%Why 40% of marketers
think their content
is “the same as the
competition” and how
they can overcome it.
69%How you can plan to
be different so you’re
not one of the 69% of
marketers that don’t
have a strategy in place
to stand out from
the crowd.
41%Tips and tricks you
can use to get the buy
in from the C-Suite to
be different so you’re
not one of the 41% of
marketers that claim
they’re not brave
enough to differentiate.
44%Why you need to
use data to drive
differentiation and why
44% of marketers say
lack of insight or data is
holding them back from
their goals.
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7. INTRODUCTION
BEINGGREAT
ISNOLONGERENOUGH
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8. For today’s brands, it is better to be
different than to be better. Claiming
superiority over your rivals is often a
hard one to demonstrate.
It’s important to establish a point of difference
early on in the life of a business, but it’s equally
important to be “always on”, and react in the
moment so that differentiation lives, breathes,
and adapts with you.
Sabrina gives the example of the Toyota Prius
which achieved huge sales even though many
considered it ugly and hard to use with mediocre
acceleration. But it stood out because of a unique
quality—a hybrid engine combining electric and
petrol drives. As a result, it sold in droves.
“BEING GREATISN’TENOUGH.BEING WILDLY DIFFERENTTHAN WHAT’S OUT
THERE IS OFTENTHE BIGGESTPREDICTOR OF WHETHER OR NOTYOU’LL BE
ABLETO GRAB SIGNIFICANTMARKETSHARE,”WROTE SELF-PROCLAIMED
BRAND BUILDER DANIELLE SABRINA FORTHE HUFFINGTON POST.
“WHEN YOU’RE DIFFERENTFROM EVERYTHING ELSE,YOUR
UNIQUENESS OBLITERATES ALL OTHER NARRATIVES ABOUT
YOUR PRODUCT,”SHE DECLARED.
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9. In the B2B field, differentiation can
be harder to establish than in B2C
marketing. B2B differentiation
can be manifested through
the sense of purpose the
business promotes, its mission
statement, the visual identity
of its communications, and the
customer experience it delivers.
Above all, there needs to be a
behavioural change within the
business—the mindset of everyone
within it must change and appreciate
why it’s special, and how that must
be reflected in the way it operates.
“YOU CAN’TLOOK ATTHE
COMPETITION AND SAY YOU’RE
GOINGTO DO ITBETTER.
YOU HAVETO LOOK ATTHE
COMPETITION AND SAY YOU’RE
GOINGTO DO ITDIFFERENTLY.”
Steve Jobs
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10. DIFFERENTIATION
IN CONTEXT Differentiation is about several things:
Firstly, it’s about what you are saying.
Secondly, it’s about who you’re saying it to.
WHATAREYOUSAYING?
You need to talk about the competitive edge you
have over the competition, why your customers
came to you in the first place and why they stay
with you. And it depends how you say it. If you
publish dreary copy, dull videos, or pointless
infographics you won’t stand out.
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11. WHOAREYOU
SAYINGITTO?
Differentiate by audience. To sell in to your
customers you need to understand the needs
of everyone in the buying group, and that
applies equally to marketing.
Every significant B2B purchase is influenced by several
people who make up the buying group. Each person has
specific pains that need to be met by the vendor before
the sale is agreed.
Content that helps them understand exactly how your
product or service will meet their needs and even needs they
may not be entirely aware of yet, is what you need to deliver.
And your messages should be tailored across formats,
channels, and devices.
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12. SOWHAT’STHE
PROBLEM?
B2B marketers face two great
challenges when creating content that
helps them stand out from the crowd:
1.THOUGHTLEADERSHIP.
B2B companies need to establish a strong
sense of thought leadership which shines
through in their content. Having a powerful
and original take on the problems faced in
their corner of the industry is not something
that can be faked. It requires long years of
experience, research and a genuine passion
for the subject matter. B2B suppliers must
come across as experts in their fields—you
have to have something to say. Think about
that. What is it you want to get across and
why should prospects care?
2.BUY-INTOBEBRAVE.
The next challenge in building a differentiated
content strategy is getting buy-in from
business leaders to be brave and creative.
The business needs to believe in the power
of content marketing, so the marketer needs
to act as an internal evangelist about the
benefits. Be bold and be brave. Without those
traits, differentiation will only ever be a goal.
The good news is that many companies in
the B2B field understand the importance of
demonstrating differentiation in their content.
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13. We surveyed 172 B2B marketers and found that
they understand the vital role content plays in
communicating uniqueness to clients. But it was
notable how few thought they had achieved it:
50%
Only 50% of respondents believe their
“content is more varied and comprehensive
than that of rivals in the industry.”
40%
Nearly 40% thought their content was
“about the same” as their competitors.
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14. B2B companies have a long way to go to achieve the
differentiation necessary to blossom in a world of product parity.
The respondents overwhelmingly believed that the main reasons for
differentiating content by either channel or audience was to:
Differentiation is something that needs to be constantly tested and
benchmarked so businesses can ensure they keep a distance from
their rivals. Being different requires hard work, which can be easily
undone by the copycat positioning of a rival.
ATTRACTMORE CUSTOMERS.
PROVIDE AN IMPROVED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
IMPROVE CUSTOMER RETENTION AND LOYALTY.
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15. HOWTOBE
DIFFERENT
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16. Consider some of the most successful B2B brands
and the marketing campaigns that mark them out.
CONSULTANCYERNST&YOUNG’SREBRANDAS
EYWASCREDITEDWITHGIVINGADISTINCTIVE
PROPOSITIONTOONEOFTHE“BIGFOUR”
ACCOUNTINGFIRMSWHICHHADPREVIOUSLY
BEENTHOUGHTINDISTINGUISHABLE.
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17. Technology giant GE has wowed the recruitment
world with its “The Message” series of science
fiction podcasts about decoding messages from
space. The company’s transformation in recent
years has given it a level of stand-out in the
minds of potential recruits and customers rarely
achieved by B2B brands.
And on a smaller level, New Zealand accountancy software
brand Xero has done something quite unusual for a B2B
technology brand by focusing on ‘beauty’ with its strapline:
“Everything you need to run your business beautifully.”
Marketing consultant and NYT best-selling author, Sally
Hogshead, says being better only really succeeds as a
brand positioning when companies have huge budgets
and can outspend their rivals.
SHE ARGUESTHATBRANDS OUGHTTO
“IDENTIFY SOMETHINGTHATYOU ARE
ALREADY DOING RIGHTANDTHEN DO IT
ON PURPOSE.”
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18. Once a business has found its essence, creating
powerful content will flow from this. For a truly unique
proposition such as Tesla electric cars for example, it
is relatively easy to establish difference as the product
stands out in its market.
The way to bring a brand’s uniqueness to life in content is through
using the strategies of “fascination.” Strong, differentiated
content gives brands the tools to become more fascinating.
So how can other B2B providers uncover their uniqueness and
turn that into a strategy that guides and shapes their content?
BUTOTHER BRANDS HAVETO SELF-ANALYSETO FIND OUTWHAT
MAKESTHEM DIFFERENT.INTHE CASE OF SOUTH WESTAIRLINES,
FOR INSTANCE,THEIR UNIQUE QUALITIES ARE“FRIENDLY
PRACTICALITY.”THIS SHINESTHROUGH IN ALLTHEIR CONTENT.
T O M O R R O W - P E O P L E . C O M18

19. THEYNEEDTOFOCUSONTHREEAREAS:
123
Why your company
is different.
What you say to
be different.
How you promote your
differentiated message.
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20. 1.WHYYOU’RE
DIFFERENT
There are some vital areas of focus
which are significant steps on the road to
differentiation.
NEVERFOCUSONPRICE.
Competing on price threatens to push the company into
a race to the bottom against other price cutters. Instead,
you should create a value auction, competing against
rivals by offering greater value and charging more for it.
SHARPENYOURPOSITIONING.
Your products and services should be positioned in
the context of current marketing trends, themes and
opportunities. Demonstrate awareness of the latest
trends and show how your products surpass them.
Effective positioning reveals how your products offer
higher value than those of your rivals.
BRANDPURPOSE.
Have a mission and vision at the heart of your corporate
philosophy beyond simply selling products and making
money. This broadens your approach and helps create
a deeper, more meaningful connection with the target
audience.
PEOPLE.
Every company these days seems to simply state that
they have great people. Do not tell the same story as
everyone else. Find new and original ways of describing
the contribution of your staff.
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21. 2.WHATYOUSAYTO
BEDIFFERENT
One of the biggest challenges marketers
face is being different. And that comes right
back to what you say. Does your content set
you apart from the competition? And, with
almost half of the marketers we surveyed,
the answer’s no. 40% of them said they
think their content is about the same as
their competition!
Marketers have to find innovative messages, new
angles, new ways of creating content that allows
them to stand out from the crowd, get noticed, and be
remembered.
But differentiation needs to be sustainable. The heart of
differentiation is your company’s ability to develop and
promote distinctive content on a consistent basis.
Think about:
DITCHCONTENTFORCONTENT’SSAKE.LESS
ISMORE.FOCUSONCREATINGCONTENT
WITHREALVALUE.
Factual research versus fictional opinion. Create
distinguished research with a credible partner that adds
real value to existing conversations and ignites the next
conversation.
FOCUSONTHOUGHTLEADERSHIPAND
DISTINGUISHYOURSELF.
50% of marketers fail to differentiate through thought
leadership. Offering your own interpretation of news in
the sector is vital. Likewise, demonstrating a clear sense
of purpose in your content is also important. Identify
trends in the market, hone in on the news, and give your
interpretation.
YOURTONEOFVOICE.
40% of marketers said they don’t have a unique tone of
voice so where’s their edge? Develop a tone of voice that
you can use throughout all content, internal and external.
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22. BETARGETED.GETPERSONALANDFOCUS
ONRELATIONSHIP.
Tailor your content to your audiences and their pain
paints so you build a one-to-one, not one-to-many
relationship! Know your niche and do it well.
BEBRAVE.CANYOURCONTENTSTIRUPAN
INDUSTRYCONTROVERSYORDEBATE?
This will give you an opportunity to state your position
and invite contributions and discussion from industry
figures. And it’ll put you in the best position to build your
market, not just a campaign. 41% of B2B marketers feel
lack of business buy-in to be brave is holding back their
differentiation ambitions.
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23. 3.HOWYOUSAYIT
DIFFERENTLY
MEDIASTRATEGY.
The media you use to communicate with your audience
will separate you from the rest. By perfecting your
messages on a particular platform, your company
can own that channel—for instance using online video
to promote your differentiated offer. Using the right
media can be as effective as the very message you are
promoting.
FOCUSONTHECHANNELS.
This media planning stage involves identifying the
most successful channels for spreading your thought
leadership. A channel strategy is best achieved through
trying out different media and testing which is the most
effective. Research by Hubspot for its State of Inbound
Marketing report 2017 found that most B2B marketers
see inbound marketing as the most successful form of
promotion. Many B2B services are occasional purchases
made on a case-by-case basis. Companies will seek out
the solutions when they need them, so B2B providers
need to have their marketing collateral at the ready for
when prospective customers come calling.
PERSONALISATION.
The way you speak to people is they way you will be
treated by them. Make sure you have strong messages
tailored to each of your target audiences. If you say
nothing to everyone, you’ll end up talking to no one. Talk
to the individual in powerful terms and you will win over
hearts and minds
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24. CONCLUSION
LIVEANDBREATHE
DIFFERENTIATION
There are certain tactics every company must follow as a
starting point to achieve a reputation for being different.
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25. YOUNOTME
Make sure the tone of your communications
focuses on the interests of the audience and
prospective customers rather than your own
concerns. Think about the problem from the point
of view of the audience rather than focusing on
your own challenges.
SOLUTIONSNOTFEATURES
Promote the value of your solutions to your
clients’ particular problems. Alternatively, offer
them different ways of working to circumvent
those problems.
COMMITTOCX
Be committed to ensuring everything
you do in marketing ticks three boxes.
First, be brave. Second, focus on
the customer experience of your
product. And third, make sure you are
constantly benchmarking bravery,
customer experience and your overall
differentiation strategy.
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26. Businesses can achieve a deep and lasting
sense of differentiation through their editorial
strategy and the content they produce.
Corporate purpose becomes a vital guide
to creating content. This sense of purpose
and vision should grow out of your ideas on
differentiation. Purpose helps your content
present an authentic and original interpretation
of the market and the needs of prospects.
At its most successful, a well-executed
differentiation strategy will enthrall prospective
customers and give them faith in the abilities of the
B2B provider.
This will create a sense of control as it offers
prospects confidence that your company has well-
thought-out answers to their challenges. Using
data and research to refine your understanding of
different prospects and customers can help build up
a detailed picture of their needs so you can address
them on a more personal level and respond to their
individual requirements.
T O M O R R O W - P E O P L E . C O M26

27. DIRECTLYTOYOURCUSTOMER
DIFFERENTIATIONTAKESYOU
Being different can deliver huge benefits to
B2B companies. It provides a significant
competitive advantage in an area where
the offers are often hard to distinguish.
Differentiation takes you directly to your
customers.
Differentiation helps to rejuvenate the market.
It has the power to drive a company’s success
far beyond simply outdoing the competition on
quality or service.
Being different is a mission which requires
constant work and attention. But difference
can be measured, difference will be
remembered, and difference could be the key
to your success in an oversupplied market.
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28. TAKEAWAYS
Look at the brand
leaders in your sector
and understand their
behaviour. If they
offer a reassuring and
comforting tone, be
quirky and original.
Consider the
examples of
MailChimp and Xero.
Find an authentic voice
that your company
can own. This may be
through commentary
on breaking news,
analysis in a blog
or a differentiated
video strategy. Find
something that people
will remember you for.
This could be a niche
within a niche.
Look into the
operations of your
company to find the
factors that are truly
different from your
rivals. Do you source
products or hire talent
in an original way? Do
you make products
using an unusual
manufacturing process
or subject products to
tough quality testing?
Use what you find
to demonstrate your
originality.
The more you
understand about your
prospects, the more
you can offer them
content that appeals
to their particular
challenges. Take
data management
and personalisation
seriously and work out
how to explain your
differentiation
strategy in ways that
become relevant to
your entire audience.
Give your difference
a context and show
why it is relevant to
your clients. Hone your
thought leadership and
make sure you embed
this unique world view
in your content across
all channels.
01 02 03 04 05
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