When Products Parity, Meaning Wins

In most industries, pure product advantages are temporary. If you invent a novel feature and customers love it, competitors will scramble to include something similar. If you operate at a lower price, someone else will find a way to go even lower or point out your quality compromises. Competing purely on those grounds is a never-ending arms race.

However, meaning is much harder to copy. Your brand’s meaning is a unique blend of your history, your values, your communication, your customer experience, and the emotional associations that bundle together over time. It’s the difference between a cup of coffee at the local diner and a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Same basic product (a hot beverage with caffeine), but Starbucks sells you much more than coffee – they sell a “coffee experience,” a sense of place and lifestyle. That’s meaning, and meaning is why people willingly pay $5 for something they could get for $1 elsewhere.

Consider how Coke and Pepsi have battled for decades. In blind taste tests, people often can’t distinguish them reliably, and some studies even show Pepsi has a slight edge in taste for many consumers. But Coke outsells Pepsi globally. Why? Coke’s brand meaning – Americana, happiness (“Open Happiness” campaign), the classic red and white, the nostalgia – is incredibly strong. People aren’t choosing Coke because of a superior chemical formula; they’re choosing the meaning that Coke has in their minds and hearts. Coca-Cola, the product, is sugar, water, flavor. Coca-Cola, the brand, is a feeling, a nostalgia, a shared cultural icon. That’s hard to beat.

What “Meaning” Really Means

Let’s clarify meaning. It encompasses:

• Brand Story and Values: What narrative surrounds your business? Why do you exist beyond making money? For example, Patagonia (outdoor clothing) has a powerful meaning around environmental activism and quality that lasts. Buying Patagonia isn’t just buying a jacket; it’s making a statement about caring for the planet (and expecting durability).
  
  

• Emotional Benefits: How does using your product make customers feel about themselves? Driving a Tesla might make someone feel innovative and eco-conscious. Wearing a luxury watch might make someone feel successful and confident. Those feelings often outweigh the functional benefits. A Rolex and a Timex both tell time accurately; the difference is the meaning – one signals luxury and status, the other utility and reliability. Neither is “better” as a timepiece, but they serve different aspirations.
  
  

• Cultural or Community Connection: Great brands often stand for something that a group of people identify with. It could be a subculture, a cause, or a lifestyle. Think of Harley-Davidson. The motorcycles are fine machines, but what Harley really sells is the brotherhood of the road, rebellion, freedom. That’s why you see people tattoo the Harley logo on their bodies – it’s not about the engine specs, it’s about belonging to a tribe and a set of values. Competing with Harley on just “a better bike” would miss the point; you’d have to compete on capturing that same meaning (good luck, it took them decades to build).
  
  

• Unique Perspective or Personality: Sometimes meaning comes from a brand’s distinctive personality. For instance, Dollar Shave Club broke through not by having the world’s best razors (razor tech is pretty standard), but by having a brand personality that was fun, edgy, and relatable to guys fed up with expensive, over-engineered razors. The meaning was “we’re the down-to-earth disruptor that has your back.” It resonated and built a multi-billion dollar company, even though the physical product wasn’t radically new.

In essence, meaning is the context around your product that makes it more than just a widget. It’s the answer to the customer’s unspoken question: “What does it say about me (or what I care about) that I use this?” If your product’s meaning aligns with something people care about – their identity, their aspirations, their beliefs – then you’ve transcended commodity status.

Flowers vs. Weeds

Advertising legend Rory Sutherland quipped, “A flower is a weed with an advertising budget.”goodreads.com It’s a witty way to say: the difference between something valuable and something mundane often lies in how it’s perceived and presented (i.e., its branding/meaning). A wildflower in a field might be ignored as a weed, but the same type of flower, packaged in a bouquet, given as a romantic gesture, is imbued with meaning and thus valued.

For your business, think of the “flower” as the meaning you cultivate around your offerings. Without that, you might be just another weed in the market – plenty of functional value maybe, but no one treasures it.

Crafting Meaning for Your Brand

If you’re convinced that competing on meaning is key, how do you actually do it? This is where creativity and strategy meet. Here are steps and considerations:

• Define Your Purpose: Ask why your company exists – beyond making a profit. What change do you want to bring about? What do you believe in strongly? Simon Sinek famously calls this the “Start with Why” approach. Your purpose will infuse meaning into your brand. For example, if your “why” is to empower small business owners to succeed (because you believe entrepreneurship drives progress), then everything from your product features to your tone can carry that empowering vibe. Customers who share that value will see you as a partner in their journey, not just a tool.
  
  

• Identify the Emotional Drivers for Your Audience: What does your target audience really want emotionally? It could be safety, status, love, belonging, achievement, control, freedom, etc. Map those to your product. If you sell home security tech, you’re not selling sensors and cameras – you’re selling peace of mind and safety for one’s family (emotional drivers: safety/security). If you understand the deep desires or anxieties of your customers, you can position your brand as the means to fulfill those desires or alleviate those fears.
  
  

• Tell a Story That Resonates: People latch onto stories far more than propositions. Your brand’s story – how you started, what you stand for, the problem you faced – can become a narrative that customers buy into. The story should ideally involve the customer as well. Classic example: TOMS Shoes built a huge meaning around “One for One” – buy a pair, give a pair to someone in need. That story of giving made customers feel compassionate and part of a bigger mission with every purchase. The shoes themselves aren’t remarkable by design or comfort, but the meaning made TOMS stand out (and charge a premium) in a saturated footwear market.
  
  

• Brand Signals and Symbols: Humans are symbolic creatures. We attach meaning to symbols – logos, taglines, icons, even colors. Ensure your brand signals align with the meaning you want to convey. If your meaning is about being eco-friendly and pure, maybe your design is clean, green, minimalist. If it’s about being bold and rule-breaking, maybe you use daring imagery or humor in your messaging. Consistency in these signals reinforces the meaning over time. Overuse of generic stock photos or bland corporate jargon, on the other hand, will dilute any unique meaning. Be deliberate in creating your brand’s “language” – visual and verbal – to express your meaning.
  
  

• Build a Community or Movement: The strongest brands feel like movements. They bring together like-minded people. If you can facilitate a community of your users (online forums, events, social media groups) who share the same values, your brand’s meaning deepens. Users start to identify with each other through your brand. They develop a quasi-tribal loyalty. For instance, CrossFit isn’t just a workout; it’s a community and lifestyle – that meaning propelled a fitness trend into a global movement. Competing with CrossFit isn’t about having a better workout routine; it’d be about cultivating that same community fervor (not easy to replicate!).
  
  

• Live the Meaning Internally: Authenticity is crucial. If you decide your brand stands for something, your company culture and actions need to reflect it. Competing on meaning is not just a marketing ploy; it’s a strategic and operational compass. If your brand is about, say, innovation and challenging the status quo (meaning: being fearless and forward-thinking), then internally you should empower employees to take risks, and you should be seen adopting new ideas quickly. Customers sniff out inconsistency. When they see a brand genuinely living its values, it reinforces their emotional bond. It’s why brands that take a stand (and follow through) can engender strong loyalty among their base.

The Benefits of Meaning-Minded Competition

Shifting your focus to meaning doesn’t mean abandoning product quality or competitive pricing. It means augmenting them with an unbeatable layer of differentiation. When you compete on meaning:

• You create loyal customers, not fickle ones. If someone buys your product only because it has 1 extra feature or it’s 5% cheaper, they’ll leave as soon as a competitor one-ups you. If they buy because they connect with your brand’s meaning, they are much stickier. They’re part of your story, less likely to jump ship for a small functional difference.
  
  

• You can often charge a premium. Meaning adds intangible value that customers will pay for. A Starbucks coffee costs more than a McDonald’s coffee, largely due to brand meaning and the experience around it. If your brand is seen as more meaningful, customers feel they are getting more than a product – they’re getting status, or identity, or security, etc. That’s worth money to people.
  
  

• Marketing becomes more impactful. When you tell a meaningful story, people listen, share, and remember. You’re not shouting about features into the void; you’re communicating something that hits deeper. This can make your marketing efforts more viral or at least more resonant. It moves you from just “promoting” to inspiring or engaging.
  
  

• It guides innovation. Competing on meaning can actually help you innovate better. If you deeply understand why customers use your product (the meaning they derive), you can develop new features or services that enhance that meaning. For instance, if you realize customers buy your outdoor gear brand because it represents adventure and self-reliance, you might create content, apps, or events that further enable adventure – beyond just selling gear. You stop limiting yourself to product spec battles and start thinking holistically about delivering on your brand’s promise.

Examples: Meaning in Action

Let’s highlight a couple more real-world examples for inspiration:

• Disney: There are countless entertainment options, but Disney has a special meaning: “magic” and family memories. People go to Disney parks or watch Disney films not because they’ve done a spec-by-spec comparison with other vacations or movies – they go because Disney symbolizes a certain joyful, wholesome escapism and nostalgia. Competing with Disney as a new theme park isn’t about building a taller roller coaster; it would be about creating an equally powerful emotional experience (again, extremely challenging).
  
  

• Airbnb: When Airbnb started, it wasn’t competing with hotels on product (hotels often had more amenities, consistent service). Airbnb competed on the meaning of “live like a local, belong anywhere.” That was a stark contrast to the sterile, impersonal hotel experience. For travelers seeking authenticity and connection, that meaning was very compelling. It reframed a network of spare rooms and homes into a cultural movement of travelers. Now, even as hotels try to emulate some of Airbnb’s features (renting local homes, etc.), Airbnb’s brand meaning gives it an edge with its community.

Find Your Meaning and Run With It

For your brand, especially if you’re in an early stage, now is the time to define and cultivate meaning. Don’t get trapped solely in the product feature rat race – yes, build a great product, but also build a great context around that product.

Ask yourself:

• What do we want customers to feel when they use our product or think of our brand?

• What would we want them to say if a friend asked them, “Why do you use [your brand]?” (The answer will rarely be just a spec; it’ll be something about ease, or how it makes them feel, or what it represents).

• What larger idea are we a part of? (E.g., sustainability, empowerment, self-expression, efficiency, etc.)

Then make sure every touchpoint amplifies that meaning. Your competition might outspend you or copy your features, but they can’t clone your soul. And that’s essentially what brand meaning is – the soul of your business in the eyes of the customer.

In conclusion, shifting your mindset from product competition to meaning competition is like moving from a knife fight to playing 4D chess. You’re operating on a higher strategic plane. Products come and go, features evolve, but a brand with strong meaning can endure and win loyalty for years. So, define what you want to mean to people – and infuse that meaning into everything you do. It’s a competitive advantage that’s hard to steal and incredibly rewarding to cultivate.