The Blandscape™ is where businesses blur together because they all say the same things. Get specific about why your Exact Right Customers™ should choose you.
e.g. Bright Spark Creative
e.g. Graphic design
e.g. Denver metro / nationwide
e.g. 5 years
e.g. Women business owners 35-50, product-based, revenue $100k-$500k. They want a brand that feels premium without looking corporate. They've outgrown their DIY Canva era and they know it.
e.g. Their branding looks cheap and it's costing them credibility — especially online. They know it but don't know how to fix it without spending $10k or waiting 3 months.
e.g. A designer who actually GETS their vision without them having to explain themselves 10 times. Someone who asks smart questions instead of just sending pretty mood boards.
e.g. "I finally feel like my brand looks as good as my product." "You just KNEW what I meant." "I actually look forward to sending people to my website now."
Give real examples of what you do differently, how your business began, and the choices you make every day.
e.g. I include a brand strategy session before any design work. Not just pretty logos — a full positioning framework so the visuals actually mean something.
e.g. I was a marketing director who kept watching great small businesses get ignored because their branding looked cheap. I started this so they'd stop losing to companies that were inferior but looked better.
e.g. Honest pricing with no surprise invoices. Listening before designing. Brands that look like the real person behind them. Done-for-you without the hand-holding. No jargon.
e.g. Designers who ghost after the deposit. Charging for 'concepts' that are stock photos with a logo on them. Overcomplicating what should be simple. Making clients feel dumb for asking questions.
How you sound is just as important as what you say. Don’t skip the words-to-avoid section on the next page — it matters more than you think.
e.g. Confident but not loud. The person who says something smart and everyone stops to listen. Warm, a little irreverent, genuinely interested in other people. Definitely not the one handing out business cards or talking about themselves for 20 minutes straight.
e.g. Direct
e.g. Warm
e.g. Honest
e.g. Stiff
e.g. Corporate
e.g. Salesy
These words and claims land you in The Blandscape™ when they stand alone. Being local or family-owned may matter, but the label isn’t the story. Show what it means for your customer.
Use the checked list as a reminder when you edit your marketing.
e.g. Transform, empower, unlock your potential, pivot, ecosystem, circle back, touch base, move the needle, low-hanging fruit...
If a competitor could put their logo on your message and it would still work, keep digging. Your difference needs to matter to your customer.
These are invented examples to get you thinking. Use real details from your own business, and only promise what you can deliver.
Family-Owned / Our Family: “Three generations repair bikes here. The founder still teaches every new mechanic how to fit a child’s first helmet.”
Local / Community: “Our grocery stocks bread from the bakery down the street, delivered before we open each morning.”
Our People: “Maria has helped nervous first-time dancers for 12 years. She remembers what it feels like to walk into that first class.”
Reliable / Trusted: “Your technician texts before arriving. If we miss the agreed window, we credit your service call.”
The Best / Quality: “We photograph your car’s worn parts and explain which repairs can wait before you approve any work.”
e.g. We provide great customer service.
e.g. We call the next day to make sure the repair solved the problem.
Use your proof to explain why your Exact Right Customer™ should choose you.
What becomes easier, less stressful, or more enjoyable for them?
Describe one real moment: who was involved, what you did, and what happened.
Start here: “We help [specific customer] with [specific problem] by [what we do differently]. That means [benefit they care about].” Then rewrite it the way you would actually say it.
Skip the buzzwords. Give someone a clear reason to choose you.
The Blandscape™ check: Could a competitor say this? Can I prove it? Does my Exact Right Customer™ care? Replace any claim that fails with a detail, example, or story.