The Brand Triangulation Framework: why expertise alone isn’t a defendable position

“We’re experts. We’ve been doing this for years. Just look at our case studies.” 

This is something I’ve heard from potential clients time and again at the beginning of a brand discovery workshop. They’ve been in the game forever, get most of their business from referrals and haven’t had to think much about brand messaging or positioning before.

Now though, something has changed – there are disruptors nipping at their heels, a key contract is looking uncertain, or maybe they’ve just got big expansion plans – and suddenly there’s a need to get serious about marketing. Thankfully for them, they’ve realised that starts with brand positioning.

The problem is that “we’re great at what we do and we’ve been doing it for a long time” isn’t a brand position. Neither is “we have a unique way of offering [insert service here]”. I’ve heard those same lines from countless other businesses. They’re simply not enough to get you noticed, especially in a crowded marketplace.

The power of 3 for building a memorable brand

When it comes to brand building, being good at what you do is table stakes. You might believe you’re better than the competition but they’re going to make the same claims and your audience won’t have a way to distinguish you.

If you really want to stand out, you need to create a more rounded brand that is not only credible but memorable. That means thinking beyond expertise to include other elements that make you harder to imitate. That’s where the Brand Triangulation Framework comes in.

In both geometry and structural engineering, a triangle is the simplest structure that won’t collapse. By anchoring your brand on three key points, we can locate your brand precisely in a crowded landscape, making you a clear choice.

Point 01: Expertise – establishing credibility

When I say expertise isn’t enough, I don’t mean that it isn’t important. If what you sell is knowledge, experience or skill then this should absolutely be a key part of your core brand value proposition.

But having expertise is one thing – communicating that in a way which will actually build your brand reputation is quite another. The key is to do three things with your Expertise point…

Find a niche

Firstly, wherever possible, find a niche. Do you develop apps specifically for small, membership-based charities? Run ecology surveys for private estate developers? Deliver career progression workshops for women in the private sector? Niching technically reduces your audience base but it also makes it much easier to get their attention.

Use the right language

Next, you want to articulate what you do and what makes you special in language your audience will actually understand. Don’t use technical terms if they’ll just complicate things. And remember to focus on both features and benefits, rather than just one or the other. You want people to understand what you can help them achieve and how you’re going to be able to do that.

Prove it

Finally, you have to prove it. Anyone can say they’re an expert. But if you want to build authority, you’ll need to be able to back that up. That means using real life anecdotes and case studies to show where you’ve put theory into practice, explaining complex ideas clearly and concisely using helpful analogies and original frameworks, sharing data that only someone with years of experience would have access to.

Point 02: Perspective – starting conversation

Of course, you’re only going to get a chance to establish credibility if you can get your audience’s attention in the first place. If you’re going after a cold or even lukewarm audience – or one that’s not yet in the market to buy but may be in the future – then you’ll need something to use as a hook and make you memorable enough that they’ll come back when they need you.

Having a perspective does just that. It shows not only that you’re capable but how you see the world and who you are within it. In a crowded field where others might be able to match you on experience, perspective creates preference. There are virtually any number of perspectives you can take and yet it is often overlooked, giving it huge potential for differentiation.

So how do you build perspective into your brand? It might look like challenging common industry practices, taking a stance on what matters vs what doesn’t, or demonstrating how your values as a business shape your decision-making. Just make sure your perspective is authentic and shared across the business so you build consistency and trust rather than trying to dupe people, which never works out well in the end.

A mini case study

I recently worked with an ecology team in a national development consultancy. Their competitors tend to fall into one of two camps – those pushing the “we’ll help you save the world” line, and those taking a more commercial “we’ll get the job done on time and on budget” approach. 

So we did something different and came down in the middle with a pragmatic stance about how biodiversity is good for business, people and the environment. The team is currently recruiting because they’re bringing in so much new business.

Point 03: Personality – building connection

Every brand has a personality, whether or not it’s deliberate. If it’s not deliberate then at best it’s probably bland and forgettable – at worst, it could be inconsistent, unclear or even off-putting.

This means everything from the imagery you use on your website to the anecdotes you share on LinkedIn, the energy with which your team answers the phone, or whether you have mugs, balloons or golf balls on your conference table. 

Brand archetypes are a good starting point for thinking about brand personality but you’re not limited to just 12. You can have a blend of two, either equally balanced or with one taking the lead. Or go off-piste and create one of your own.

This isn’t about being loud, it’s about being memorable. Because people don’t remember neutral, especially in industries like consulting or professional services, where the actual service offering can easily feel interchangeable.

Why many brands fail – and how to get it right 

Like a three legged stool, if you take away just one leg, the whole thing falls apart. Expertise without perspective feels generic – perspective without expertise lacks credibility. Expertise and perspective without personality is smart but forgettable.

It’s the triangulation of the three points that creates positioning. That’s what makes a brand layered, interesting and distinct. Too many organisations put all their weight on just one point – usually expertise – and then wonder why no one’s paying any attention.

What you need to do is go beyond a list of services or a case study database. Those are important but they’re just a start. Building a defendable brand position requires clarity, honesty and usually an external perspective – as David C Baker wrote in his book The Business of Expertise, “You can’t see the label from inside the jar.”

Most brands don’t struggle because they lack expertise. They struggle because they haven’t triangulated it. With three clearly defined, articulated and consistent points mapped out, you’ll never have to say “we’re the experts” again. Because people will already know.

If you’re rethinking your messaging or position, let’s have a chat so I can help you start off on the right foot.

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