Over the years, I’ve prepared many strategy briefings, which included a variety of charts, diagrams, and visuals. These were designed to challenge my clients to realize their true potential. However, there’s one slide that appears in almost every vision and strategy presentation we create at Huge. It’s the “sea of sameness” slide. This slide typically features screenshots of our client’s digital experience alongside those of its competitors, revealing little to no visual distinction between them.
Usually, when we get to this slide I’ll note that, in their category, no one seems to want to stand out or lose out, resulting in a bunch of mediocre brand experiences that look like one another. In theory, this is the moment for the team to realize the chance to do something distinctive. Yet while some chatter about needing to be bolder and standing out happens, inevitably the conversation turns to something less risky and “best-practice”-driven.
That’s when my inner voice screams.
We find ourselves in an era where digital platforms are so overwhelmed with bullshit that the challenge for marketing executives (and even parents, for that matter) extends beyond just capturing attention—it’s about maintaining it. Well, at least for 30 seconds — the minimum amount of time a user must watch or listen on Spotify or Youtube in order for the content to be “counted" (and thereby paid royalties). As a result, everything has seemingly become a pathway to keeping you engaged; an optimized obsession with consistency and uniformity that increasingly overlooks actual user needs. I believe this homogeneity, while streamlining user experiences and driving efficiency, also comes at a significant cost. A creative and financial one.
The high price of conformity.
“Being safe is risky” marketing guru and author Seth Godin once famously mused, highlighting the paradox at the heart of modern marketing strategies. But safety isn’t just confined to ad land and communications: the digital landscape is increasingly dominated by similar aesthetics, functionalities, and content strategies. For instance, the prevalence of minimalist design (inspired by tech giants like Apple and Google) has led to a sea of indistinguishable websites and apps. Just browse a few fashion sites and you’ll see that Bonobos looks like Greats who feel like Aritzia who looks a lot like the Gap. In gaming, the industry grapples with a deluge of sequels, remakes and games that prioritize monetization over innovation, feeling more like a Vegas sportsbook than an imaginative world of interaction and fun. Meanwhile, social media platforms are filled with content that follows the same formulas for engagement, from viral challenges and memes to standardized post formats.
