How Any Small Business Can Create an “Anti-Brand” That Grows by Breaking the Rules
Contrarianism is in.
We live in a world saturated with brands, ads, and carefully crafted messaging. Consumers have developed “banner blindness” and a knee-jerk skepticism of anything that looks and sounds overly polished. In this environment, the well-trodden path to growth no longer works. Brands pursuing business-as-usual are ignored at best and resented at worst.
To cut through the noise, smart companies are embracing an “anti-brand” approach — deliberately breaking conventions to spark intrigue and loyalty.
Don’t just take my word for it. Brands from Old Spice to Wendy’s have stirred buzz and boosted sales by tossing out the rulebook. Burger King notoriously pranked McDonald’s by offering 1-cent Whoppers to anyone within 600 feet of a McDonald’s. Droga5’s anti-pharma ads for Honey brought a refreshing irreverence to the staid healthcare marketing space.
So how do you craft an effective “anti-brand”? Here are three unconventional rules:
Don’t try to please everyone. Take a strong, polarizing stance.
The quickest way to be ignored is to be beige. Brands that try to appeal to the widest possible audience fail to appeal to anyone at all. They blend into the background. Strong brands know who they are and who they aren’t. They have a point of view that energizes their core fans, even if it rubs some people the wrong way.
Take a cue from brands like REI and Patagonia that boldly lead with their values, even when it courts controversy. Or Wendy’s — they gleefully troll competitors on social media with an edgy, snarky tone. It delights fans who share that sensibility.
You don’t have to be outrageous. But find your brand’s authentic voice and stretch it to create sparks.
Use Flaws as Features. Leverage weaknesses in an endearing way.
In the age of social media, consumers expect more transparency — which means they expect to see brands’ imperfections. Savvy brands reveal their flaws first, spinning them into strengths.
Everlane famously stressed radical transparency as their key brand pillar, opening up their pricing formulas and supply chain for all to see. Brandless took this further by putting no brand name on their products at all! They turned the whole notion of branding on its head.
Owning rather than hiding your weaknesses establishes trust and approachability. And it gives fans something real and human to rally around.
What do you worry your competitors will criticize? Beat them to the punch by addressing it directly with humility and wit.
Make it about your customers, not you. Shift the focus outward.
In traditional branding, the company is the hero of the story. But anti-brands flip the script — their customers become the protagonist.
Look at how Dyson frames their innovation around understanding customer problems and desires. TOMS Shoes built a brand around their charitable giving. GoPro turned customers into their content stars.
Rather than talking about yourself, talk about what you’re enabling for others. Get specific with customer stories and use cases. Infuse your messaging with their voice.
This “egoless” approach avoids the corporate sales speak that consumers automatically tune out. And it forms an emotional bond — people invest in brands that invest in them.
But how can these “big brand” concepts apply in SMB environments?
While anti-branding is often associated with big, bold companies, the principles apply for small businesses too. Here’s how to make it work on a smaller scale:
Get specific and local. Big brands can afford to polarize because they draw from huge target markets. As a small business, get hyper-targeted in your positioning — focus on winning fans in your hometown before trying to appeal to the world.
Rather than make broad controversial statements, take strong stances on local issues. Support local sports teams fervently. Weigh in on town politics. You’ll stand out and earn fierce local loyalty.
For example, a local pizza shop could poke fun at the big chains like Papa Johns or Domino’s. A boutique fitness studio could position against “cold” corporate gyms like Equinox.
Use your origin story. Customers love hearing the backstory of passionate founders. Don’t shy away from revealing early struggles or mistakes. Be transparent about the ups and downs of starting a business. It shows authenticity and makes customers want to root for you.
For example, an ice cream shop could share the founder’s endless experiments to create the perfect chocolate recipe. A brewery could talk about the founder learning brewing through YouTube videos (even failing batches). These humble origin stories build an emotional bond.
Co-create with customers. Big brands use customer endorsements and UGC. As a small business, you can take this further with actual co-creation. Develop new products together with local fans. Name menu items after loyal customers. Showcase customers using your products on your website and social media. Make them the heroes.
Small businesses have an advantage here. It’s easier for you to have actual conversations and relationships with customers. Use that access to spotlight them and make them part of shaping your brand.
Blazing your own trail is risky.
But in today’s fractured media landscape, being aggressively inoffensive is even more so. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
The anti-brand route isn’t for the faint of heart. But for those willing to break from convention and speak authentically, the rewards can be game-changing growth.
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