If everyone likes your brand, that means nobody loves it.

Most brands want to be liked. Friendly. Approachable. Inoffensive. On the surface, this sounds sensible. In reality, it is dangerous.

Because brands that try to appeal to everyone usually end up becoming insignificant, meaning nothing to anyone.

The comfort trap

Being broadly acceptable feels safe.

You avoid controversy. You avoid strong opinions. You avoid alienating potential customers. You also avoid differentiation. Safe brands blend in.

And brands that blend in are interchangeable. Interchangeable brands compete on price, convenience, and availability. That is not a strong brand position.

Love requires preference

People do not love neutral things. They love brands that stand for something. That says: “This is who we are.” “This is who we are not.”

Strong positioning creates preference. Preference creates loyalty. Loyalty creates pricing power. Trying to be liked by everyone removes all three.

The myth of universal appeal

Some of the most successful brands in the world are not universally loved. They are polarising.

Some people adore them. Some people actively dislike them. That is not a weakness. It is proof of clarity. Clear brands repel as much as they attract. That is how they stay sharp.

Why differentiation feels risky

Differentiation means defined selection. Choosing a tone. Choosing a defining point of view. Choosing a very specific audience. Every choice excludes someone. Exclusion feels uncomfortable.

Especially inside organisations that equate growth with “more people”. But real growth does not come from appealing to more people.

It comes from resonating more deeply with the right people.

Generic language creates generic brands

Scroll through brand websites and social feeds. You will see the same words:

Innovative. Trusted. Customer-centric. Leading.

These words are not wrong. They are meaningless without context. If your competitor can copy-paste your positioning and nothing changes, you do not have positioning. You have decoration.

What love looks like in practice

Brand love is not measured by applause.

It is measured by behaviour. People choose you even when alternatives are cheaper.
People recommend you without being asked. People defend you when you are criticised.

That only happens when people feel aligned with what you stand for. Not when you try to please them.

The courage to be specific

Specificity is powerful. “We are for this type of client.” “We solve this type of problem.”
“We believe this approach is better.”

Specific statements invite agreement. They also invite disagreement. Both are healthy. Silence is the real enemy.

A final thought

If everyone likes your brand, you are probably too vague. Strong brands do not chase approval. They build conviction. They accept that clarity creates friction.

And they understand that friction is the price of meaning something. Because in branding, being loved by a few beats being liked by all. Every time.

About the Author

Steve Gardiner (exec MBA) is a senior marketing and commercial leader at Lighthouse PR, bringing global experience from Accenture, Electronic Arts, Virgin Media, Telekom, and Etisalat. Latterly, as VP Business at Etisalat, he was responsible for $1.8B in revenue.

Today, Steve applies his strategic, marketing, and growth expertise to support Lighthouse PR clients as part of the agency’s service offering.