Why Brand Strategy for Small Business Starts With What You Don’t Do

Dorien Morin-van Dam
4 days ago
3 min read

What if the secret to standing out in a crowded market isn’t about what you sell, but what you refuse to conform to?

That’s the bold idea explored in a recent Strategy Talks episode featuring Alex M H Smith, founder of Basic Arts and author of No Bullsht Strategy*.

Alex has worked with CEOs worldwide to help them discover the hidden differentiators that create real brand power.

If you’re looking for fresh insight on brand strategy for small business, this conversation is packed with contrarian wisdom that challenges conventional thinking.

Why Most Brand Strategy for Small Business Fails

Alex points out that most founders either:

Have no strategy at all, operating 100% reactively.
Follow a generic, ineffective strategy focused on being “better” than competitors.

The problem? Trying to be better, whether through superior customer service or higher quality, rarely works. When many businesses offer the same value proposition, customers struggle to see the difference. Success comes not from being the best, but from being the only.

Key lesson: The market rewards originality, not incremental improvements on what already exists.

The Power of Disagreement in Brand Strategy for Small Business

To create a brand that’s impossible to ignore, Alex suggests starting with what your business disagrees with in your industry. This contrarian approach helps:

Reveal unmet customer needs.
Identify category norms that can be challenged.
Inspire new, unique value propositions.

For example, Southwest Airlines stood out by refusing to cater to business travelers and removing costly frills to offer low-cost air travel. They didn’t need to shout about what they removed; customers simply saw the benefit: affordable flights.

Applying the Dolly Parton Principle to Brand Strategy for Small Business

Alex shares a favorite quote from Dolly Parton: “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” This sums up effective brand strategy for small business beautifully.

Rather than chasing an aspirational identity, founders should:

Step back and examine what their business already is.
Identify what customers genuinely value (which may differ from the founder’s original intent).
Lean into those natural strengths deliberately.

The magic happens when you stop trying to be something you’re not and start amplifying what’s authentically working.

Consumer Brand Strategies with Alex M H SmithDorien Morin-van Dam

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How to Build a Differentiated Brand Strategy for Small Business

Here’s how to apply Alex’s approach:

Audit your business identity. What do customers already value most about you?
Identify your point of disagreement. What industry norms or competitor practices don’t align with your philosophy?
Create new value. Innovate in a way that customers can’t get anywhere else.
Communicate benefits, not features. Focus on the value your uniqueness creates for customers, not just how you deliver it.

Make Your Brand Strategy Work for You

A powerful brand strategy for small business doesn’t come from trying to outdo competitors at their own game. It comes from playing a different game entirely—one where your business is the only choice for a specific kind of value.

Take a cue from Alex and ask yourself: “What unique value does my business bring to the market that no one else does?” The answer could be the foundation of your lasting success.

Watch the full video interview: