Was Einstein distinctive or different? [INSIGHT]

What comes to mind when you read the name Einstein? I am willing to bet an image like the one on this page comes readily to mind. But is that because he is distinctive or different? Many people have trouble distinguishing between the two qualities, but the distinction is important.

Even today we recognize Einstein immediately; his looks are very distinctive, but would he be remembered today if he had not also made a meaningful difference on the world of physics? Of course not, he would have been written off as a crazy old man and forgotten.

Just like Einstein, brands need to be immediately recognizable. This is particularly important for consumer packaged goods sold alongside competitors in crowded displays. When people make habitual purchases under familiar conditions then the brand needs be recognizable and trigger a positive instinctive reaction. However, if people are choosing for the first time, or are unhappy with their current choice, they will reconsider their options, search for the best one (witness online search data) and make a more deliberate choice.

These more deliberative purchase occasions are hugely important because existing, habitual patterns of behavior are sidelined. This is the point when consciously-accessed brand associations have the most influence on purchase. A brand still needs to be easily recognized, but now conscious associations have the power to sway the purchase decision and justify the price paid.

So what type of associations matter most? All our research suggests that brands that are perceived as meaningfully different are more likely to be chosen, more likely to justify the price asked, and will grow faster when salience increases. Just as Einstein made a difference in the world of physics, brands need to make a meaningful difference in the lives of their consumers if they are to grow profits as well as sales. And if you brand already has something different to offer, then the potential to make it distinctive is that much greater.

For more on how people choose brands under different conditions please check out Make Your Brand the Obvious Choice. My basic conclusion from looking at all the data available to me is that brands should be different and look different in order to achieve their full potential.  What do you think? Please share your thoughts.