A Sense of Place in a Landscape of Sameness
Sameness is often the result of reasonable choices. Organizations study competitors, adopt best practices, use familiar industry language and increasingly turn to the same AI tools. Each decision can make sense on its own. Together, they can gradually erase what makes an organization recognizable. Like great places, distinctive brands are built through an accumulation of choices that belong together. Language, behaviour, design, experience and perspective reinforce one another to create a coherent whole. The goal is to build from what is already yours and make it recognizable.
What happens when all the reasonable choices start making you look like everyone else?
"Distinctiveness disappears not through one dramatic mistake, but through a series of safe choices."