What’s up with all these sound-alike branding firms?

Someone I know and respect recently joined a branding firm, so I went to their site to check them out.   What did I find there?

I found the same things that I find at nearly all other branding firms.  I was particularly fascinated by the way they all seems to be using the same language.  The following 4 examples were culled from the home pages of 4 different branding firms. Can you guess which phrase goes with which branding firm?  Can you do it without using Google?

1. “Creating brands that transform business.”

2. “Create value”

3. “Building strong brands that drive revenue and create financial value”

4. “Creating and managing brand value”

Every one of these firms goes on and on about the need for brands to stand apart  in the market, to have an ownable point of differentiation.

In fact one of the firms features a new whitepaper they have written about “Differentiation in a Downturn”

Here are some of their key points:

• To prevent your differentiation from disappearing overnight, keep in touch with your customers and understand their needs and concerns
• Brand attributes and assets that may be cost of entry in good times become more important as customers look for reassurance from companies they can trust.
• Cut away neutral brand assets and attributes that have no measurable on your brand’s bottom line.
• If your brand is in a rut, take the long-term view; but if you follow tips 1-3 you might be able to stop your brand’s decline before it’s too late.

To all of these firms I say, “Eat your spinach!”  If you really believe in differentiation, then why don’t you practice it?  

Oh, and the answers are:

1. Landor

2. Lippincott

3. TippingSprung

4. Interbrand