If you can’t beat them, you COULD join them. Or, you could dig your heels in and double down on your difference.

And if already you’ve carved out a differentiated value offering? We’ll almost always recommend doubling down.

We hear similar concepts in personal empowerment all the time.

“Be yourself.” “You do you.” “Lean in to your authentic self.”

Brands are no different. If a competitor is undermining your value statement, don’t shift your value statement, double down and OWN the difference. Own who you are.

Let’s get into examples.

Remember when Dollar Shave Club entered the razor market in the early 2000s? They deeply cut Gillette’s market share by touting themselves as cheaper and easier-to-order than the price-gouging Gillette.

Gillette had two options – compete in price with DTC or own its space. And itdoubled down on its benefit: It ISN’T $1. What kind of RAZOR is a dollar!? Acrappy razor, that’s what kind! Gillette are a good razor!

Gillette began to strategically shift towards owning the market of a man who actually cared about his razor being the “best a man could get” and owning that the best doesn’t come at a $1 price point. Own it, Gillette. (Note: Gillette did later shift to a DSC-like membership pricing model, but the”Best A Man Can Get” identity still holds)

More recently, Tide has taken this stance to combat lower priced discount detergents. “Don’t pay for water, switch to Tide” is the tagline in its last pre-quarantine commercial. Same as owning it. I might not be a dollar, but that’s the whole point.

But, what happens when you stray from your differentiators?

A cautionary tale comes from Southwest Airlines. For decades, they carved out a niche through customer-friendly policies: no change fees, open seating, and famously—“bags fly free.” Those weren’t just perks, they were identity markers. In 2025, Southwest began to shift its strategy—announcing the end of free checked bags for most passengers and the introduction of assigned seating and premium upgrades. In other words, moves that aligned them more with traditional carriers than the distinctive airline customers had grown to love.

The backlash was swift. Loyalists called it a betrayal. The lesson? When you’ve won trust on the strength of your difference, abandoning it can cost more than it gains.

One of our favorite examples of this strategy goes beyond the price sticker. A sit should, brand value and differentiation is deeper than price point. Do yourself a favor and check out @SubParkParks. Designer Amber Share is deeply passionate about nature. She was reading up on yelp about best places to visit and noticed oddly specific and ironic gripes about national parks. And, in a way, Amber doubled down. Here’s what that looks like visually.

Turning the lens on a gripe of “UGH THERE IS NO WIFI” and owning thedifference gives the subtext. “YOU ARE RIGHT, there is no wifi. That’s thepoint.” We will own the market of people who WANT no wifi. You think it’snegative. We reframe this negative into VALUE.

Ready to own your difference?

RedMark helps brands find, refine, and boldly express what sets them apart. Let’s talk.