The Rule of No Rules: Distinctiveness as a Framework
We’ve partnered with Social Day to produce a new report: The Rule of No Rules: A Framework for Distinctiveness, written by Marcus Foley, Co-Founder of Tommy. It’s a deep dive into how brands today are breaking free from stale conventions and building powerful, distinctive identities.
Let’s face it: rule-breaking is no longer the preserve of a bold few. Across industries, we’re seeing tribes emerge in unexpected spaces, blending and bending culture in ways that defy easy categorisation. Category codes are being reset. Playbooks are being ripped up. Entire story-worlds are being conjured, turning what used to be simple marketing into something far more expansive.
Many brands are pushing new standards of distinctiveness. The most striking among them are those resisting the lure of formulaic creative – ditching repetitive, data-led tactics that drain the life out of social media feeds. Instead, they’re carving out space that’s unmistakably their own, and it’s paying off with growth and loyalty that numbers alone can’t explain.
Successful content marketing demands thoughtfulness and audacity. The first is common. The second? Not so much.
So how do you keep pace when distinctiveness is contextual, nuanced, and always evolving? How do you build something that refuses to blend in?
That’s the question The Rule of No Rules sets out to answer. It breaks down the core principles of distinctiveness – what it means today, and how brands are using it to their advantage.
Marcus will also be unpacking these insights live at Social Media Fest 2025 (20–22 May, London), exploring what the most distinctive brands are getting right, and what we can all learn from them.
