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#YAWN
“We’re different” is the most
generic thing you can say
Jacinta Bolsenbroek, Diector of Communication
⏱ 6min read
COPY CATS by Shauna Summers
“We’re different” has become the marketing equivalent of “How are you?”
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Most of the time, the phrase answers none of those questions. It simply announces that a business would like to be considered distinctive.
That is not the same as being distinctive.
The fix is straightforward, although it is not always easy: stop claiming difference and state the actual thing that is true and different.
Not the impressive version. Not the broadest version. The specific, nameable thing someone could repeat back to you later, word for word.
Difference is not a feeling
Businesses often describe difference as a feeling they want to create.
“We put people first.”
“We go the extra mile.”
“We do things differently.”
“We care more.”
“We deliver exceptional service.”
These phrases may reflect genuine intentions. The problem is that
intentions are not the same as evidence. Almost any business can say
them, and almost every business does.
A claim becomes useful when it tells us what happens.
Compare these two statements:
We prioritise the customer relationship.
We answer every email on the same working day.
The first sounds responsible. The second gives us something we can understand, remember and check.
If you email the business at 10am and receive a reply before the end of the day, the claim has been proved. If you do not, it has not.
That is the difference between a value and a fact. Values matter, but facts are what make them believable.
Stavros Halkias by Chris Buck
The specific version is usually smaller
This is where many businesses hesitate.
They want their difference to sound substantial. They want it to suggest a new category, a bold philosophy or a sweeping transformation. A small operational detail can feel underwhelming by comparison.
But the small detail is often more persuasive because it is real.
A consultancy might want to say:
We take a human approach to business transformation.
What it actually does differently might be:
Every project starts with a half-day workshop involving the
people who use the process every day.
That is less grand. It is also much clearer.
A bakery might say:
We are passionate about quality.
The more useful truth might be:
We bake the day’s bread from 4am and stop selling it when it is gone.
A software company might say:
We make complex technology simple.
The specific version could be:
Every customer gets one named support contact, not a ticket number.
A recruitment agency might say:
We build long-term partnerships.
The actual difference might be:
We do not send a CV to a client until we have spoken to the candidate ourselves.
None of these statements sounds revolutionary. That is partly why they work. They describe behaviour rather than ambition.
Stavros Halkias by Chris Buck
If someone cannot repeat it, it is not clear enough
A useful test for any claim is simple:
Could someone who heard it once repeat it accurately later?
Not approximately. Not “they were good with customers” or “they had a different approach”. Could they remember the actual point?
“We answer every email on the same working day” passes the test.
“We prioritise the customer relationship” does not.
The first gives the listener a sentence they can carry away. The second gives them a general impression that could belong to almost anyone.
This matters because marketing rarely gets remembered in full. People keep fragments. A phrase. A detail. A promise that sounds useful in the moment they need it.
If the fragment is vague, it disappears into all the other vague claims they have seen. If it is specific, it has a chance of staying put.
Put the vague claim next to the real one
The easiest way to spot empty difference is to place it beside the thing it is trying to hide.
We offer a more personal service.
You will always speak to the same person, from the first call to the final invoice.
We are committed to sustainability.
We deliver local orders by cargo bike and publish our monthly energy use on our website.
We make buying a home less stressful.
We send you a written update every Friday, even if nothing has changed.
We are a flexible employer.
Everyone can work from home on Wednesdays, and nobody needs permission to adjust their hours for a school appointment.
We provide tailored financial advice.
We explain every recommendation in a one-page summary before you decide whether to proceed.
The specific statements are not necessarily more exciting. They are more useful. They tell people what the difference looks like in practice.
That is the standard to aim for: not “Does this sound impressive?” but “Would someone know what happens next?”
Don't turn this into a slogan exercise
The answer is not to find a cleverer way to say “we’re different”.
It is not to replace one empty phrase with another that sounds more original. “Built for better”, “made for more” and “where ideas come alive” may have different rhythms, but rhythm does not create meaning.
The work happens before the writing.
Look at what your business actually does. Look at the decisions you have made, the rules you follow, the things you refuse to compromise on and the details customers notice.
Ask:
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What do we do every time?
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What do we do that competitors regularly avoid?
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What do customers thank us for?
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What would a customer be disappointed to lose?
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What can we prove with an example, a process or a number?
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What is true even when nobody is watching?
The answer may be less glamorous than the positioning statement you started with. That is a good sign.
Specific does not mean insignificant
A small difference can carry a lot of meaning.
A hotel that lets guests check in from 11am is not reinventing hospitality. It is solving a real problem for people arriving before the usual check-in time.
A design studio that sends three clear options instead of twenty is not changing the industry. It is making decisions easier.
A solicitor who explains fees before asking for any paperwork is not transforming access to justice. They are removing one unpleasant surprise.
These details may not sound impressive in isolation. Together, they tell people how the business behaves.
That is what trust is built from. Not a declaration that you care, but repeated evidence that you do something in a way people value.
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Say the thing plainly
Once you find the specific difference, resist the urge to decorate it.
Do not write:
“Our commitment to responsive communication ensures that clients remain fully informed throughout their journey.”
Write:
“We send an update every Friday.”
Do not write:
“Our bespoke approach enables us to deliver solutions aligned with your unique requirements.”
Write:
“We do not use fixed packages. We start with what you need and price the work from there.”
Do not write:
“We are dedicated to creating a seamless customer experience.”
Write:
You can book, pay and change your appointment in one place without calling us.
Plain language does not make a difference smaller. It makes it visible.
The best claim is one you can keep
There is another advantage to being specific: it creates a promise your business can act on.
“We care more” is difficult to measure and easy to ignore.
“We reply within one working day” gives a team something to organise around. It can be tracked, improved and challenged. It turns marketing into an operational commitment rather than a decorative statement.
That may feel risky. It is also the point.
A claim that cannot be tested cannot build much confidence. A claim that can be tested gives people a reason to believe you.
So the next time you write “we’re different”, stop.
Ask what the difference actually is. Find the smallest true thing. Name it in a sentence. Make it plain enough that someone could repeat it back later without changing a word.
“We answer every email on the same working day” beats “we prioritise the customer relationship” every time.
One is a claim about what you hope people think.
The other is a fact about what you do.
And facts are much harder to forget.
We should talk.
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