This post first appeared in the Distinctive Dispatch on 4 September, which we publish on Substack. You can sign up for future editions here or on the box to the right of this post.
Stop talking about what you do
Who are we? What do we stand for? Why does it matter?
If you asked people working for the same organisation these questions, it’s quite likely that they’ll give different answers.
Maybe they’ll talk about what they do, because this sits within their scope of reference. “We build houses” is technically accurate.
But how is that descriptor any different from the thousands of other companies in the UK that do the same thing?
“We deliver training,” is also fine as far as it goes.
But why should anyone care that you provide the same solution – because it’s always a ‘solution’ – as every other training provider?
There is a problem with talking about what you do and stopping there. It neglects the story that makes you who you are.
Set against a growing sense that everthing sounds the same, I can’t recall a time when your story has mattered more.
Organisations can bring people along on the journey by clearly outlining the place they started from, the things they’d like to achieve and where they’d like to end up.
When your story works, it builds connections and earns trust. That’s how sustainable growth happens.
Don’t take my word for it though: look at how businesses are rehiring humans to help their stories stand out from the sea of slop lapping at our ankles.
Why your story matters
People use the phases ‘stories’ and ‘narratives’ interchangeably. Whatever you call it, we’ve seen recently how having a clear statement that people relate to – or lacking one – really matters.
This was blindingly apparent this summer when Andy Burnham become the fifth – yes, FIFTH – Prime Minister since Distinctive started trading in 2022.
His diagnosis of the challenges facing the country – over centralised, with too many places left on the sidelines – absolutely chimes with ours as a business whose colleagues live and work across England.
He’s also clearly and purposefully communicating how he wishes to tackle these problems. If you listen to his speeches in the House of Commons this week, you can’t help but notice how different the tone is.
It contrasts sharply with what went before. A government elected in a landslide on the back of a one-word slogan (‘change’) singularly failed to articulate what that ambition would look or feel like.
And it wasn’t as if the Starmer government wasn’t busy doing things. Planning reform, trade deals, a devolution white paper, cutting the Child Benefit cap, and nationalising the steel industry are just a few of the big measures. It’s a substantial list, let’s be fair. But if you define yourself by a list of stuff, why should people care?
It turns out that they didn’t.
Matching words with action
Andy Burnham has yet to outlast Liz Truss’ 49 days in office at the time of writing. Parts of the media who cheered Truss into Downing Street are eagerly pointing out that ‘good vibes’ alone won’t be enough to bring about the change Burnham wants.
Silly as they look after castigating Sir Keir Starmer for his lack of vibes, I think the point is fair.
We’ve said before that trust will only come when action follows words. If there is a disconnect between the promise and the reality, trust takes a hit.
That’s a risk for a government constrained by its own promises not to raise headline taxes to fund the change it seeks. The challenges ahead are huge. Addressing them starts with honesty, clarity and purpose.
As every organisation including our own (see here) calls for Andy Burnham to do things, stitching actions together into a clear story that people get is critical.
We’re hopeful that he can.
What this means for Distinctive
After working in comms for more than 20 years, I know our industry isn’t great at telling its own story.
Research into how businesses like ours describe themselves show the same phrases and service offers come up again and again.
In a sector with 90,000 practitioners, “we work with the media,” won’t swing the dial. Defining what you do with a list of services is the basic stuff, and it’s where we started as a business.
I’ve thought loads about this as we’ve grown as a team and moved into new sectors. I can’t pretend to have cracked it, because it’s hard to pin down.
But where we’ve landed with Distinctive is that we are a team that cares about people and places that’s also brilliant at communication. We use this to help clients progress transformational projects, unlock investment and support positive growth. You can see this impact run through our work.
Yes, we provide services spanning from strategy to community engagement, content, and public relations.
But being clear about who we are – and who we aren’t – defines us.
The cost of clarity
We say to clients that clarity comes at a cost, because it forces you to choose.
Whether you’re running a country, a business or a household, these choices come with trade-offs. They may mean you upset some people who want to you choose their project. Or you may lose opportunities by choosing to walk a different path. But, choose we must.
The alternative is to let vagueness fill the void. And if you define yourself by doing everything for everyone, you lose what defines you.
In an age of sameness, that’s not a good place to be.