Welcome back to 52 Weeks of Marketing Wisdom, where we review and recommend a new book weekly across five themes: Foresight, Customer, Strategy, Creativity & Innovation, plus two extras to complete the 52.

Our program is for busy marketing professionals seeking inspiration and growth through reading.

Rather than a simple review, we've evolved our blog posts to bring a point of view to the work and focus on how it informs what we do at Selbey Labs.

We are continuing our focus on the theme of Customer and this week, we're looking at the role of the subconscious mind and instinct via the wonderful book The Power of Instinct by Leslie Zane. 

Be warned, this week we take aim at one of the most cherished ideas of modern marketing; being different. 

Hope you enjoy it.

Why Brands Should Stop Obsessing Over Differentiation and Focus on Familiarity

Marketers love talking about differentiation.

They’ll tell you it’s the holy grail of branding.

“Be different,” they say. “Stand out from the competition.”

But here’s the thing: differentiation is overrated.

In fact, chasing differentiation for its own sake can often lead brands astray. Why? Because what really makes people choose a brand isn’t how different it is.

It’s how familiar it feels.

That’s the core argument in The Power of Instinct by Leslie Zane.

Zane is a branding expert who understands that consumers aren’t making rational, logical decisions most of the time. They’re operating on instinct—driven by the primal brain, the part of our mind that reacts to subconscious triggers.

And guess what the primal brain loves most? Familiarity. It craves it.

While marketers might get excited about bold new ideas and disruptive campaigns, the primal brain is on a different wavelength. It’s looking for safety, comfort, and what it already knows.

The Danger of Being “Different”

Let’s get one thing straight: differentiation can get you noticed.

It can make people stop and look. But that’s not the same as winning their loyalty or getting them to choose your product.

In fact, if you’re too different, you risk pushing people away.

Zane explains that the primal brain, which evolved to help humans survive, is wired to avoid things that feel unfamiliar or risky. Back in the day, something new and unfamiliar could be dangerous. Today, while we aren’t avoiding wild animals or poisonous berries, that instinct still guides our decisions—especially in the marketplace.

So when brands go out of their way to be different—using jarring visuals, unexpected messaging, or radically new ideas—the primal brain says, “I don’t trust this. It feels unsafe.”

That’s why differentiation alone isn’t the answer. Familiarity is.

Apple: Consistency, Not Difference

Let’s talk about Apple for a moment.

Apple isn’t constantly reinventing itself. Sure, it innovates in terms of products, but its branding? That stays remarkably consistent.

The sleek, minimalist design. The clean, white packaging. The simple, intuitive user experience.

Apple has built its brand on familiarity. You don’t have to wonder what you’re getting when you buy an Apple product. You already know. Your brain is primed to trust it.

As Zane explains in The Power of Instinct, Apple’s success lies in its ability to create and reinforce brand triggers. These are subconscious cues—colors, designs, sounds—that make you feel a certain way without you even realizing it.

Apple’s clean, minimalist aesthetic triggers feelings of trust, simplicity, and innovation.

But most importantly, it feels familiar. It feels safe.

People don’t buy Apple products because they’re different.

They buy Apple because it’s reliable, consistent, and familiar.

Coca-Cola: The Power of Nostalgia

Then there’s Coca-Cola, another brand that understands the value of familiarity.

Coca-Cola has hardly changed its branding in over a century. The red and white colors, the signature logo, the contour bottle—they’re all deeply embedded in our subconscious minds.

Why would Coca-Cola change anything? It already taps into something far more powerful than differentiation: nostalgia.

Zane describes how Coca-Cola uses brand triggers that evoke memories of happy moments—childhood, family gatherings, celebrations. The moment you see a Coke can, you’re not just thinking about a soft drink. You’re recalling all the times Coke was part of a positive experience in your life.

Coca-Cola doesn’t need to reinvent itself. It just needs to stay consistent and familiar, reinforcing the emotional connections that people already have with the brand.

It’s not about being different. It’s about being something people already know and love.

Nike: Familiarity Through Empowerment

Nike is another brand that has mastered the art of familiarity.

For decades, Nike has stuck to its core message: empowerment through sport. The “Just Do It” slogan, the swoosh logo, and the iconic imagery of athletes overcoming adversity have remained consistent across the years.

Nike doesn’t try to shock or surprise its audience with each new campaign. Instead, it reinforces a message that has been driving its brand for decades: wear Nike, and you can achieve greatness.

This consistency creates a familiar emotional response. Consumers know what to expect from Nike, and they trust it to deliver. The swoosh logo itself is a powerful brand trigger, instantly evoking feelings of ambition, success, and empowerment.

Again, it’s not about being radically different. It’s about tapping into deep, emotional associations that feel familiar and safe.

Brand Triggers: The Secret to Subconscious Loyalty

So, what’s the common thread here?

It’s brand triggers.

Zane argues that the most successful brands understand how to use these subconscious cues—colors, logos, sounds, shapes—to tap into the primal brain.

These triggers create emotional responses without people even realizing it. They make consumers feel comfortable, familiar, and safe.

Think of the Nike swoosh. The moment you see it, you don’t need to think. You already know what Nike stands for, and your brain responds accordingly. The same goes for Apple’s design aesthetic and Coca-Cola’s red and white branding.

These brands aren’t trying to be different with every campaign. They’re reinforcing what they already know works.

They’re building trust through familiarity.

Differentiation is Overrated

Marketers often get caught up in the race to be different. But the truth is, differentiation is overrated.

It can grab attention for a moment, but it won’t build long-term loyalty. In fact, it might even scare off customers who are looking for something safe and reliable.

What brands really need to focus on is building familiarity. That’s what makes people choose you again and again.

Because the primal brain doesn’t want something new and risky.

It wants something it recognizes.

Something it trusts.

Something that feels like home.

The Takeaway

Stop chasing differentiation for its own sake.

Start building consistency. Use brand triggers that tap into people’s subconscious. Create familiarity by reinforcing the same messages, the same designs, the same emotional connections over time.

The brands that win aren’t the ones shouting, “Look how different we are!”

They’re the ones that whisper, “You know us. You trust us.”

And that’s how you win the game.

If you want to discuss brand triggers in more detail, give us a shout at info@selbeylabs.io. We'd love to help.

The Power of Instinct, The New Rules of Persuasion in Business and Life by Leslie Zane