RESEARCH STUDY

Does differentiation make brands grow? We put it to the test.

A study on which memories, across product, price, place and promotion, put a brand on a path to growth.

Vojtech Prokes & Jiri Boudal

Read the full study
See the key findings
246
brands
5
markets
8
categories
60,000
respondents
THE RESEARCH QUESTION

The marketing debate
of 2026: Sharp vs Ritson, put to the test

For decades, one of marketing’s biggest questions has been whether a brand needs to stand for something different from its rivals to be chosen.

Many influential thinkers have argued that it does, from Kotler’s Marketing Management to Ries and Trout’s Positioning. But in recent years, the work of Professor Byron Sharp and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has come to dominate marketing discussions with a very different argument: differentiation doesn’t really matter.

At this year’s Cannes debate between Byron Sharp and Mark Ritson,
the two agreed on almost everything. Except this.
Market map shows guilt-free indulgence has high growth potential, easy snacks medium, pre-gym fuel low.
KEY FINDINGS

Differentiation matters. Challengers can only enter established categories via certain needs

Brand size explains 90% of associations, but differentiation unlocks market entry. Only a third of needs behave like taste in colas, with everything ±3. About 14% of needs look like US dog food.

Great taste · US colas

Size explains everything

Low movability
Coca-ColaPepsiRC ColaShasta ColaVirgil’s ColaZevia Cola
+3
+1
−1
0
+1
0
−20−100+10+20
Natural food · US dog food

Challengers break above their size

High movability
The Farmer’s DogFreshpetBlue BuffaloTaste of the WildRoyal CaninPurina
+13
+7
+4
0
−2
−16
−20−100+10+20

Small and mid-sized brands need to avoid low-movability needs and fight where the battle is still open. These are the needs where David can beat Goliath.

Big brands

2.6×

more losses than wins on high-movability needs

Small and mid-sized brands

2.5×

as many wins on high-movability needs as on low-movability ones

Small brands

0

wins on low-movability needs for small brands founded in the last 30 years

CATEGORY DEEP DIVES

See where each brand stands apart, category by category

The full study breaks the data down for all eight categories. Each view shows how far a brand sits above
or below what its size predicts. Three examples:
US cars
UK coffee
US dog food
Points above or below what each brand’s size predicts, US cars. Blank cells are within ±3 points.
Need
Product
Dependable vehicle−3Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points+11+3Within 3 points
Good for daily commuteWithin 3 points+6Within 3 points−9+4Within 3 points
Great for road trips and holidays−4+3−3+4Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Attractive design−10Within 3 points−7+16+8Within 3 points
A sense of freedom−4−3−3+8+3Within 3 points
Great for families+4+3+5Within 3 points−5Within 3 points
Packed with features−8Within 3 points−5+15+18−4
To be environment-friendly−9Within 3 points−11−6+16Within 3 points
Ideal as a second car in the householdWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points+4−8Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
A sense of status−11−17−13+22+17−3
Price
Good value for moneyWithin 3 points+8+4−7Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Long-term affordableWithin 3 points+8+6−7Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Attractive discounts−4+8+4−7Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Low price+4Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points−10Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Place
Easy access to servicingWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points+3−5+4Within 3 points
Test drives available−4Within 3 points+8+3+11Within 3 points
Easy to buy in-storeWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points+8+6+4−4
Easy to buy online−4Within 3 points−4−5+4Within 3 points
Promotion
Unique brand elements (visual, audio…)−8Within 3 points−10+9+17Within 3 points
Standout advertisingWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points−6+7+10Within 3 points
Show all needs

Green: linked to the brand more than its size predicts. Red: less.

Explore all eight categories in the full study →
Points above or below what each brand’s size predicts, UK coffee. Blank cells are within ±3 points.
Need
Product
Rich flavorWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points−3+7+4Within 3 points
Easy preparation+6Within 3 points+3+8−6−3
Morning energy boost+3−3Within 3 points+3Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Premium quality−4−4Within 3 points+6+4Within 3 points
A moment of calm and relax−3Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points+7Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Coffee shop experience at home−6−3−4Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points+3
Environmentally friendly−5−3−4Within 3 pointsWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points
To feel in controlWithin 3 points−5Within 3 points+3−3Within 3 points
To feel special−7−5−3−3+7Within 3 points
For hosting guests−3−5Within 3 points+4+4Within 3 points
Price
Good value for moneyWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points+9Within 3 points−3−3
Affordable priceWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points+10Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points−3
Attractive discountsWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points+12−4−6Within 3 points
Place
Available in supermarkets+3+4+8+11Within 3 points−8
Easy to buy in-store+5+6+8+4−3−8
Easy to buy onlineWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points−4Within 3 points
Distinctive packagingWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points−4+5Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Promotion
Unique brand elements (visual, audio…)−4−3−3Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points+3
Standout advertisingWithin 3 points−6Within 3 pointsWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points+4
Show all needs

Green: linked to the brand more than its size predicts. Red: less.

Explore all eight categories in the full study →
Points above or below what each brand’s size predicts, US dog food. Blank cells are within ±3 points.
Need
Product
Exactly for my dog−4Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points+5Within 3 points−5
Feeling like a good owner−9+6+3+8Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
High meat content−11+3+4+9Within 3 points−3
Natural food−16+4+7+13Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Recommended by vets−8+5Within 3 points+7Within 3 points−4
For sensitive digestion−12Within 3 points+6+10+4−6
American produce−6+6Within 3 points+8Within 3 points−4
For an aging dog−4+4Within 3 points+8Within 3 points−5
To experience closeness−6Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points+5−3Within 3 points
Weight loss support−11Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points+3Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Price
I can afford it repeatedly+8Within 3 points−3−3Within 3 points−3
Good value for money+6Within 3 pointsWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points−3Within 3 points
Low price+7−8Within 3 pointsWithin 3 pointsWithin 3 points−3
Attractive discounts+6−5Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points−4Within 3 points
Place
Easy to buy in-storeWithin 3 points+9+4Within 3 points−3−3
Available in supermarkets+8+4+4−3Within 3 points−6
Easy to buy online−4+7−5+7Within 3 pointsWithin 3 points
Distinctive packaging−11+6+6+5Within 3 points−3
Promotion
Unique brand elements (visual, audio…)−10+3Within 3 points+9+4Within 3 points
Standout advertising−5+6+5+10−3−4
Show all needs

Green: linked to the brand more than its size predicts. Red: less.

Explore all eight categories in the full study →
THREE PRINCIPLES

Brands of different sizes should fight on different needs. Three questions show which.

Every need has all three characteristics. How much each one shifts the chances of a breakthrough depends on brand size, so what helps a small brand grow into a mid-sized player may be the wrong choice for a market leader.

01

Movability

Can a brand stand out beyond its size?

For some needs, associations follow brand size almost entirely. On others, brands already differ, and that is where smaller brands can break free.
02

Occupancy

Is there room in people’s minds?

Whether buyers care about a need more than they associate brands with it. Mid-sized brands do better on open needs, while big brands can compete for needs already claimed.
03

Prevalence

Is the need big enough?

How broad a need is, from niche to mainstream. Small brands can grow by serving niche needs, but for mid-sized and large brands some opportunities are simply too small.
MORE FROM THE DATA

What else the study found

Differentiated brands convert more awareness into buyers

Over +20% for small and mid-sized brands.

+17%

more buyers for differentiated brands, at the same awareness

Differentiated brands are better known

Small and mid-sized brands, against brands their size.

+4 pts

more of every 100 buyers know differentiated brands

Brands that grow on fame and distinctiveness alone are hard to find

Both were small, and neither was growing.

2 of 246

brands stood out on fame and distinctiveness, but on nothing else

Emotional benefits are where brands differ least

Symbolic needs like status or origin are different: a third of them are highly movable.

0

emotional needs with
high movability

CEPs are often not the best place to build memory

On occasions like a morning energy boost, every brand gets the link its size predicts, and none gets more.

40%

of CEP-like needs have low movability, against 28% of other needs

THE FULL STUDY

A deep dive in four chapters, with the data behind every finding

01

Once size is removed, rival brands differ clearly in buyers’ minds

Blue plus sign icon on white background.

While brand size explains around 90% of brand associations, most brands still have distinct strengths and weaknesses that set them apart, often in ways their competitors cannot match.

02

Differentiation matters for growth

Blue plus sign icon on white background.

The remaining 10% of associations, beyond what brand size predicts, is where brands can find room to grow by focusing on needs that are movable, underoccupied, and relevant to enough buyers.

03

Mental availability includes links across all 4Ps, not just CEPs

Blue plus sign icon on white background.

Mental availability comes from memories linked to all four Ps: product, price, place, and promotion, not just category entry points, and these associations can all influence buying decisions.

04

Why standard trackers miss earned positions, and how we measured them

Blue plus sign icon on white background.

Traditional trackers often confuse brand size with genuine differentiation, so the study uses better methods to identify brands’ earned associations.

When David Beats Goliath · How brands really grow

Find the needs your brand can actually win

The full paper shows how to apply the three questions to your own brand, with the evidence from 246 brands behind each one.

Abstract digital art with bright colors including large splashes of light blue, pink, orange, and purple on a black background.
The order to ask prevalence, occupancy, and movability for a small, mid-sized, or large brand
Which kinds of needs are mostly dead ground, and why CEP-like needs often are
How to separate earned positions from size-granted ones in your own tracking
Read the full study
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