Differentiation | Franchising | Brand Strategy
In 1983, I walked into the world of franchising knowing almost nothing — except one thing: I wanted to build something that mattered. What I quickly learned was that wanting to be in business is not enough. The real question every business must answer is: what gives you the right to be here?
When I was evaluating printing franchises in the US, I visited eight different companies. They all said they were great. Their brochures were slick. Their salespeople were confident. But when I looked closely, I couldn’t find a meaningful difference between any of them. That’s when I realised — and I still believe this today — that a business without genuine differentiation is just noise in a crowded market.
Then I found American Wholesale Thermographers (AWT). It wasn’t perfect. The system wasn’t fully built. But it was different. It served a wholesale model, selling directly to print shops — not retail customers. That alone separated it from everyone else. And from there, we kept pushing. We introduced same-day delivery when no one else was doing it. We offered an unconditional customer guarantee. We invested in technology. We hired in-house drivers.
None of these were huge innovations individually. But together they built something real — a reason for customers to choose us and stay with us.
Differentiation doesn’t always come from what you make. It comes from how you sell it, how you deliver it, and how you make people feel. At Pure Nectar, we don’t just make cold-pressed juice. We bring nourishment with intentional hospitality, in every single interaction.
So here’s the question worth sitting with: why should a customer choose your brand over the dozens of others competing for the same wallet? If you can answer that clearly and confidently, you’ve earned your right to be in the marketplace. If you can’t — that’s where the work begins.
Earn the right to say, loudly and without hesitation: my brand is great because…
— Harish Babla | Managing Director & CEO, Pure Nectar Global
📘 From the book: Lessons Learned, Wisdom Gained — My Journey in Franchising
#Franchising #PureNectar #Entrepreneurship #BusinessLessons
