Branding Lessons from Mumbai: Standing Out from the Herd

by Jeremy Tang

Different, Different but Same

Just left Mumbai after seeing some valued CMAX.ai customers.

When you travel over 90 days a year, most cities start to look and feel the same. It’s like someone copy-pasted buildings and streets everywhere. But India? Nah. India said, “We’re gonna do our own thing.”

The smells, the sounds, the food – it’s all 100% India. No mistaking it. Even their version of Chinese food is uniquely Indian!

And that got me thinking about brands.

Most brands act like sheep. They huddle together, thinking it’s safe. But in business, being part of the crowd is the exact opposite of branding.

The crowd is where the real danger lies.

Think of it like this: In a stampede, who gets trampled? The ones in the middle of the herd.

In nature, being part of the crowd might keep you safe from predators. But in business? It’s a different story.

Sticking with the herd means:

You might get crushed by bigger competitors.

You’ll miss out on the best opportunities (the greenest pastures).

Customers won’t even notice you’re there.

People seem to forget this crucial point: Branding is all about standing out, not blending in.

If you want to test if your brand truly stands out, try this:

? Write down what makes your business special.
? Find what your competitors say makes them special.
? Use ChatGPT or equivalent to rewrite each to a 5th-grade level to take out jargon.
? Show these simple descriptions to someone you don’t know.
❓ Ask them which one sounds different from the others.

If they can’t tell, you’re in trouble.

So, what’s your brand’s “India moment”?

What makes you unmistakably YOU?

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