Want Your Brand to Stand Out? Start by Studying These 16 Brands

Written By Lesley McIntosh

Is your brand struggling to break through? Are you having a hard time identifying your brand’s points of differentiation (PODs) relative to its points of parity (POPs)?

Before going forward, I encourage you to read the first post in this series: The Difference Between a Brand That Stands Out and One That Just Shows Up. It’s a good primer. I break down why so many emerging brands default to category norms, and why being relevant isn’t the same as being distinct. Having a clear and meaningful point of difference gives consumers something to remember, repeat, and come back to.

This second post is more practical. I pulled together 16 examples across categories, from legacy brands to emerging players. Supergoop reframed a product people only used in summer. Liquid Death made bottled water feel anything but neutral. Some brands lead through innovation. Others lean on cultural relevance, emotional utility, or a sharp point of view. There’s no single formula, but there are patterns worth studying.

📝 Read more on Substack: 16 Real-World Examples of Brand Differentiation That Work

Lesley McIntosh

A former Revlon VP and founder of Brand Botany, Lesley helps high-potential consumer brands grow smarter. With two decades of experience at L’Oréal, P&G, and Philips, she brings big-brand strategy to founder-led businesses across beauty, wellness, home, and CPG through Fractional CMO and advisory partnerships.
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Inside the Modern Retail Marketing Summit: 4 Strategies Brand Leaders Are Betting On