What your brand does that qualifies you to be in the market will not differentiate you from your competition. They're called points of parity in brand building—so you can move on to what matters.

The name is fairly transparent: these are elements the brand offers that enable them to be seen as a player in any particular category. I often state it like this: If I were a billionaire and wanted to get into your category, what would I need to offer in order for people to take me seriously?

The list often starts with things like: wide range of products, good quality, a variety of experts on staff, size of company, efficacy, good value, etc.

In workshops with some larger, established brands rethinking their way, the list can fill several pages—which is perfect for the group to work through. Because many established brands fall victim to believing their Points of Parity are what separate them from their competition. They don't! They simply keep you in the game.

The next step in the equity building process is to identify Points of Difference. These are usually much harder to nail down—some brands may only have one or two true differentiators.

I'll discuss those in my Points of Difference post.