For the last 18 months I’ve been beating the drum that unique, memorable and differentiated brands and experiences will be insanely important for companies in the AI era.
Someone asked me recently, “What does having a ‘differentiated brand and experience’ actually mean?” I’ve been thinking about that question a lot recently and trying to put into even more explicit terms.
The short answer? There’s no single formula.
The long answer? Differentiation is a felt edge that shows up the same way at every touchpoint for customers. They can taste it, tap it, or maybe never notice it because it disappears into ease. It creates a magnetic pull that keeps them coming back again and again.
The best way to illustrate this is through examples. I spent some time thinking about some brands and experiences that are memorable to me, each standing out for different reasons.
4 examples of memorable brand experiences
Chick-fil-A: Speed & reliability
Walk into any location, order in the app, grab your food. They’re fast, predictable, and polite. The promise is simple.. great food, great service, zero friction. The edge is consistency at scale and the system keeps the promise.
Putting this into action
Pick 2 service standards you’ll never break. For example, sub 5-minute pickup and a friendly greeting to every customer.
Map the 5 steps from desire to done. Remove one step this quarter.
Create an escalation rule that protects speed. Empower your team to fix in the moment without approvals.
NotebookLM: Fast time to value
Notebook LM is a Google Gemini product that gives you value quickly. You bring your notes and docs, it brings structure and insight. Most people can pick it up and understand how to get value in seconds. The edge is clarity with no tutorial needed. The outcome shows up fast.
Putting this into action
Write the 1st minute script for your product. What should a new user see? What should they do? What do they get?
Replace one empty state with a meaningful default. Put real sample data or a guided action there.
Track time to 1st meaningful outcome. Make one change each week that reduces it.
Tesla: Invisible intelligence
I don’t own a Tesla, but I’ve been in a few and every ride feels like the future. Windows close and doors lock auto-magically. Cameras snap photos of people who get too close. The car remembers details. You talk and things just happen. The edge is intelligence you don’t have to manage. The system does the thinking so the driver doesn’t have to.
Putting this into action
List the 3 decisions your customer makes most often. Automate one of them with sensible defaults.
Add a single voice or natural language command that removes taps.
Switchyards: Character you can touch
Photo of a Switchyards coworking club (from Switchyards.com)
The Switchyards is a coworking club with soul. It’s got cool vintage textures, thrifted objects, and club rules on the wall. I love the premium tea and coffee, die cut stickers, and high quality stationery throughout their spaces. And their monthly paper newspaper with member stories and artwork. It’s a collage that shouldn’t work, but it does. The edge is tangible character that you can feel with all 5 senses.
Putting this into action
Design one physical totem your community can take with them. A notebook, a pencil, a field guide.. something they can hold on to that reflects your brand and is unique and memorable.
Write your house rules. Keep them short and make customers smile. Put them where people gather.
Audit your space for sameness and replace one generic artifact with something that tells your story.
The pattern behind them
These brands don’t win for the same reasons. One wins on speed, one on time to value, one on invisible intelligence, one on tactile character. The common thread isn’t how they differentiate themselves, it’s the focus and consistency. They chose an edge and they express it the same way everywhere.
Differentiation isn’t about being weird (although that could be part of your brand), it’s about being clear about who you are (and who you’re not) and doing that repeatedly so people see it, believe it, and expect it.
Pick the feeling you want to create then make sure every touchpoint reinforces that feeling. When it helps, add a light moment of surprise and delight that’s small, specific, and on brand.
A simple framework you can use this week
Promise: The felt edge in one sentence. For example, fast and friendly every time.
Principles: The non-negotiables that guide decisions. For example, fewer steps, clear words, own the fix.
Proofs: The moments where customers can feel the promise. For example, sub 5-minute pickup, one tap reorder, proactive text if there’s a delay.
Plumbing: The systems that make it repeatable. For example, queue logic, staffing rules, service recovery playbooks.
Totems: Tangible signals that make it memorable. For example, the pencil, the stationery, the welcome gift.
Telemetry: The metrics that show it’s working. For example, time to value, repeat purchase rate, 1st contact resolution.
Putting all of this into action
Write your brand promise in a single sentence and share it with your team. If it needs commas, it’s too long.
Turn your guiding principles into checklists your team can use during real work.
Pick 2 ways to prove your brand promise that you’ll deliver to your customer in the next 30 days. Make them obvious to your customers.
Document one piece of plumbing that keeps the edge sharp when you scale.
Add one totem that reinforces the story in the real world.
Review telemetry weekly. If the number doesn’t move, change the work.
Questions to guide your 2026 planning
What will make you stand out in a customer’s mind after one interaction?
Where do your customers gather (online & in person)? Which watering holes matter?
Which community nexus deserves ongoing investment?
What content helps them do their job today? Not thought leadership, actual help.
How will you connect emotionally? Trust, relief, confidence, joy? Choose one feeling and go all in.
Which behaviors are shifting in your market and what will you build for that future?
How we’re living this at StealthX
I’m in the community every week listening, shaking hands, hearing what leaders worry about and what they want next.
I spend a lot of time working on practical content (like this!) for people to build better experiences in the age of AI. I try to make them short, useful, and action oriented (hopefully you can see/feel that 😅).
We invest in free community events including executive dinners, meetups, and spaces where peers can jam together.
We design the client journey for fast value, clear start, early wins, no busywork, and strong service recovery if things ever get off track.
We always go above-and-beyond what’s in the contract. For example, build quick and unexpected AI proofs of concept to show what’s possible, share curated resources, facilitate free workshops, invite folks to be on my podcast, invest in sharing stories over meals... and a bunch of other little things to show we care.
Wrapping up
Differentiation is a choice, not a campaign. Pick an edge and express it the same way in your product, your service, your systems, and your totems. Keep sharpening and tailoring because when you do, your customers will feel it and they’ll remember you and keep coming back. That’s how brands will thrive in this AI era.. with clear edge, consistent delivery, and thoughtful moments that feel human.
Onward & upward,
Drew
P.s. If we haven’t met yet, hello! I’m Drew Burdick, Founder and Managing Partner at StealthX. We work with brands to design & build great customer experiences that win. I share ideas weekly through this newsletter & over on the Building Great Experiences podcast. Have a question? Feel free to contact us, I’d love to hear from you.