Brands were first told they had to find a USP, then they were told that was impossible and that they should stand out with distinctive logos and creativity, but the theory of “bothism” says they can, and should, choose both strategies.

Why differentiation and distinctiveness matter

The current “ideological” dispute over the merits of differentiation or distinctiveness for marketing strategies not only misses the point but is actually destructive for the industry, argues Professor Mark Ritson, not least since it can lead other business functions to regard marketing as “smoking the crack pipe of nonsense”. 

Takeaways 

• Avoid buzz words and...