“In 2019, we were innovative. Now what we do is commoditized.” We’ve heard this from multiple cloud migration companies in the last month. Each built their reputation on innovation when data moved to the cloud, but competitors have caught up. In a market where everyone has the same certifications, they’re now left using tropes like “customer obsession” or “we care” to differentiate.
It’s the problem faced by any company whose competitors have the same certifications or similar services: “We are positioned against other [Microsoft/Salesforce/OpenAI] partners. When our customers bid out an RFP, they’re just going to give it to whoever’s the cheapest.”
Positioning in an established category makes your brand visible. Winning those customers requires positioning your brand in a “category of one.”
How Caylent Can Shift To A Category Of One
Caylent delivers exceptional cloud consulting and client experience, but lacks the strategic narrative needed to claim a category of one.
Their messaging highlights the value they deliver, but fails to distinguish them from the competition. For the 95 percent of buyers who aren’t actively shopping today, nothing in their story makes them memorable.
Our founder, Ed Lynes, reviewed their website messaging and broke down exactly how they can make that shift below.
How to Become “One of One” in Your Market
For most brands, their story emphasizes “here’s who we are, here’s what we do.” But 95 percent of buyers aren’t looking for the product your company provides; they’re seeking a solution to their problem.
Brands who want to be seen as “one of one” in their market develop a story that shares a unique viewpoint about what’s changing in their market. They capture the problems with their buyers’ status quo, which builds an immediate connection to the brand. They then assert a defined view of what success looks like in the future.
This evolves the narrative away from emphasizing the same ROI or “faster, better, cheaper” benefits every competitor shares. Because the view of why the status quo is broken and what the future looks like can be unique (even when services aren’t), the brand is able to position itself as “one of one.”
The result is that the brand evolves from being “just another cloud partner” to the only firm who sees the future of their market in the same way. The services or ROI claims shared by competitors become points of credibility here, not differentiation.
Claim a Category of One With a Defined Viewpoint
Woden’s strategic narrative framework, the StoryKernel, is the foundation for positioning your brand in a “category of one.” We uncover the defined viewpoint within your brand and craft the brand story that makes a case for change. The result is a story that ensures buyers understand your value in the same way you do—as one of one.
Want to position your brand in its own category? Fill out this form, and we’ll record a five-minute video with three ideas on how to better tell your story.
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not need to invent a new service offering to claim a category of one, because true differentiation comes from your strategic perspective rather than your technical deliverables. Start by identifying the major change reshaping your customers’ industry and defining why traditional approaches fail to solve it. Through Woden’s StoryKernel framework, B2B leadership teams uncover that internal viewpoint and translate it into a unified brand story, a process also supported by specialized partners among the top positioning agencies in Philadelphia.
Positioning your brand in a category of one means differentiating your company through a unique, defined viewpoint on where your industry is heading rather than competing on features, certifications, or price. Instead of claiming to be faster, better, or cheaper than similar vendors, you articulate what is broken about your buyers’ current status quo and what future success looks like. When buyers share your perspective on market change, your services become credibility markers and your company becomes the only logical choice.
