6d • General discussion
Discipline 3: Innovate
Most businesses say they want to be innovative, but very few actually are. And branding is no different. You can’t claim to be an innovator and still follow the same formulas everyone else is using. Innovation in branding doesn’t mean being weird for the sake of it, it means doing something different because the usual way won’t get the result you’re after.
It’s about thinking fresh, not thinking random. New ideas are usually uncomfortable. They go against instinct. Everyone is wired to follow the group. It’s safer. Easier. More acceptable. But branding that stands out never plays it safe. The safe option blends in. The innovative option sticks its neck out and risks getting it chopped off. That’s the trade-off.
Sometimes, innovation in branding means saying something that no one else is willing to say. Sometimes it’s taking a tone no one else would take. Sometimes it’s solving a problem no one else even saw. Sometimes it’s as simple as flipping a message, removing a feature, or turning a boring product into a bold idea just by telling the truth about it.
And the truth is, most brands aren’t brave. They say they want originality, but deep down they want what’s already proven to work. So they copy what’s already been done, play it safe, and wonder why their message doesn’t land. Because it was never built to stand out in the first place.
Innovation is about doing what makes sense for your brand, your market, and your customer, even if it breaks tradition. Even if it feels risky. Even if it makes you nervous. That nervous feeling is usually a sign you’re on the right track.
But here’s the catch: if it doesn’t scare you a bit, it’s probably not innovative enough.
And that’s the problem. Most people are afraid to look stupid. Afraid to back something new in case it flops. So they strip the edges off everything. They dilute the idea. Make it safe. And now they’re back at square one. If you’re not willing to take a risk with your brand, then don’t expect anyone to notice it.
In a world where every company has access to the same tools, same templates, same AI prompts, same design trends, innovation becomes the only real differentiator. It’s not about perfection, it’s about guts. The best brands zig when everyone else zags. They move first. They say something worth hearing. They package something in a way that makes people stop and look again.
That’s what innovation really is in branding. It’s not magic. It’s not luck. It’s just having the nerve to go first, say something different, and actually mean it.
So if you’re building a brand and you’re not sure what to do next, ask yourself this: “What’s the obvious move here?” Then do the opposite.
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Discipline 3: Innovate
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