When I started as a product marketer, everything came down to product differentiation.

But, things have changed. Even if you build an innovative new feature, it can be replicated in months, if not weeks. And with customer expectations at an all-time high, simply being “good enough” is no longer good enough.

Which brings us to the million dollar question: how do you win when your product doesn’t stand out on its own?

My friend Madison Leonard has a theory. This week she spoke to the PMM Camp community about how to create a go-to-market strategy so good, even if your competitors copied your strategy tomorrow, you’d still be #1.

Today, let’s review each dimension of Madison’s approach and explore how B2B and B2C companies have used these strategies to win.

4 Ways to Build Differentiation

According to Madison, differentiation can happen across multiple dimensions: your segment, brand, go-to-market motion, and journey. And when done right, these strategies can make your offering irresistible, no matter how crowded your market may seem.

Segment

The first way to differentiate is to focus on a well-defined target segment and identify an unserved part of the market. Targeting a specific audience makes your messaging sharper, your go-to-market more efficient, and your offering more compelling.

Take SurveyMonkey, for example. They faced an uphill battle going against Qualtrics, a company who had established themselves as the leader in the enterprise market. So, SurveyMonkey carved out a niche with small businesses instead and became known as an approachable way to do market research.

Madison also shared an example from Venmo, the go-to payment app for millennials. Their product functionality wasn’t unique — you could already send money via tools like PayPal — but, by leaning into their segment’s behaviors and preferences, they created an experience that felt tailor-made.

The lesson? Just because your product can serve everyone doesn’t mean it should. Zeroing in on a specific audience creates relevance your competitors can’t easily replicate.

Brand

Your brand is one of the most powerful ways to differentiate because it creates an emotional connection that extends beyond your product. A strong brand gives your company a distinct identity and a voice that people recognize, trust and love.

In the B2B world, Gong is a popular example. With vibrant colors, bold messaging and a playful tone, Gong created a brand that is anything but boring (something rare in sales software). They became the top choice over Chorus, even though their competitor was first to market. I’d argue that Apollo is running a similar brand play today against ZoomInfo.

Madison shared a B2C example too. When Dollar Shave Club entered the razor market, they were up against legacy giants like Gillette. Instead of competing on features, they flipped the script by making their brand the differentiator. Their viral launch video, with its humor and relatability, was a direct jab at the over-engineered and overpriced products of these traditional players.

The lesson with this one? When your brand leads with personality and a clear point of view, you can create an emotional moat.

Go-to-Market Motion

Differentiation can also come from how you sell and deliver your product. If all of your competitors have a complicated sales process, can you simplify? If they all focus on sales-led, can you offer self-serve?

Warby Parker used go-to-market motion to make a name for themself. Before they entered the market, buying glasses was a tedious experience: customers had to visit a physical store, try on a bunch of glasses, and make a decision in minutes. Warby Parker changed the game by introducing their Home Try-On Program, which allowed customers to order five frames online, try them on at home, and return what they didn’t like — all for free. This eliminated a massive barrier for buyers: the fear of making the wrong choice online. It allowed customers to take their time, get feedback from friends and family, and make a confident purchase decision.

The takeaway? Your go-to-market motion can be as much of a differentiator as the product itself. Customers remember innovative experiences (especially those that remove friction or add convenience).

Journey

The final lever of differentiation is the customer journey. This is where you can go beyond meeting expectations and create moments that surprise and delight.

When I worked at FreshBooks, we prided ourselves on this element and even had the slogan “support that actually supports you.” Every step of the journey we ensured our support went above and beyond (we promised to answer all support calls within three rings and never transferred to another department).

The email app Superhuman also differentiated based on their exceptional onboarding experience. Their high-touch approach, including one-on-one training for new users, made customers feel valued and invested in the product, right from the start.

What these brands teach us is that differentiation doesn’t stop at acquisition — it’s also about how you retain and delight customers throughout the entire lifecycle. A well-designed journey can turn casual users into lifelong advocates.

I think Madison’s made a compelling case that even in crowded, noisy markets, differentiation is possible. You just have to look beyond the product itself.

By focusing on segment, brand, motion, and journey, you can craft a unique value proposition that sets you apart, no matter how commoditized your offering might feel. Because at the end of the day, differentiation isn’t just about what you sell — it’s about how you tell your story and serve your customers.

Want more content on differentiation and go-to-market strategy? Follow Madison on LinkedIn!

CAMPER ESSENTIALS

🎧 Playlist: If you, like me, have fallen in love with holiday rom-coms (ahem, Hallmark), you’ll love this podcast that breaks down the economics behind the industry’s success.

⚒️ Tools: Bring your data stories to life with Decipad. I discovered this AI tool on LinkedIn this week and am eager to give it a try.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends!