In this episode of Differentiate or Die, hosts Cameron Olds and Dallin Merrill dive into the crowded world of distraction management tools by comparing two nearly identical products: Brick and Blok. Both are physical NFC-enabled devices that pair with apps to help users reduce screen time by blocking access to distracting apps—requiring a physical tap to unlock them. The duo dissects the clarity and uniqueness of each brand’s messaging, noting Brick’s strong ad language and initial appeal, and Blok’s superior problem and failure language on its website. The episode explores how clarity in messaging is a must, but true competitive advantage lies in differentiation—whether through audience targeting, design aesthetics, or brand voice.

In this episode of Differentiate or Die, Cameron and Derrill dive into the essential oil showdown between Young Living and doTERRA, sparked by doTERRA’s recent achievement of $2 billion in 2024 sales. They explore what essential oils are, share personal stories—including a powerful example of doTERRA oils aiding a burn recovery—and unpack each brand’s origin story and positioning. Young Living emphasizes control and purity through its “Seed to Seal” promise, while doTERRA focuses on global sourcing and third-party testing with its “CPTG” standard. The episode highlights how both brands use messaging, sourcing, and storytelling to carve out distinct spaces in a crowded market—and why being different matters more than just being better.

In our latest podcast episode, we explored the nuanced landscape of market differentiation, and we had the privilege of interviewing Austin Larsen, an expert in business strategy who has started and been a part of several successful businesses. Our discussion zeroed in on what true differentiation really entails in today’s highly saturated markets. Austin helped us distinguish between genuine competitive advantages that carve out unique market spaces and mere gimmicks that often masquerade as innovation. He shed light on the frequent overestimations businesses make regarding their uniqueness, explaining that differentiation goes beyond being different—it must be both valuable and meaningful to the target audience.