The Distinctive Framework exists because most brands do not have a content problem. They have a sameness problem.
IN A WORLD WHERE ATTENTION IS SCARCE AND FEEDS ARE FULL
A huge amount of marketing is technically good but functionally forgettable. It follows category conventions, uses familiar formats, and says the right things in the right order. It performs well enough to justify itself, but rarely well enough to be remembered.
At Tommy, we kept seeing the same pattern. Brands would invest heavily in strategy, design, and product, then lose their distinctiveness as soon as the work hit social, paid media, or creator channels. Somewhere along the way, everything started to look and behave the same.
To find the solution, we first needed to understand, what engages the memory.
A STUDY INTO WHAT ENGAGES SOURCE MEMORY
A 2020 study explored how distinctiveness influences attention and memory formation in the human brain.
Using EEG testing, researchers measured neural responses as people were exposed to different types of communications, allowing them to observe, in real time, what captured attention and what was retained.
RESEARCH FINDINGS:
THE FOUR TRIGGERS OF DISTINCTIVENESS
Deviance from Context – An event has primary distinctiveness if it stands out of a set.
Infrequency in Lifetime – An event has secondary distinctiveness if there is no similar existing representation in long-term memory.
- Emotional Significance –Distinctiveness derived from events that provoke an emotional reaction.
- Relevancy – Distinctiveness derived from events that are relevant/high priority.
The study proved for the first time that the more types of distinctiveness triggered, the more effective and memorable the communication would be. With this knowledge, and our understanding of the advertising space, we developed the distinctive framework.
The Distinctive Framework
The framework is made up of four pillars. Each one plays a different role in how work cuts through and how memory is formed.
Be Different
Being different is about breaking pattern.
This does not mean being random or provocative for the sake of it. It means doing something that feels unexpected for the category, the brand, or ideally both. When work looks like everything else around it, the brain treats it as background noise. Difference is what creates the pause that allows everything else to follow.
Be Innovative
Innovation focuses on the originality at the core of an idea.
This might be a new format, a new behaviour, a new use of technology, or a new way of showing up in culture. Innovation is not about novelty. It is about creating something that feels genuinely new and that only that brand could credibly own.
Be Emotive
Emotion is what turns attention into memory.
People remember how something made them feel far longer than what it said or did. Emotional response deepens processing and strengthens recall. Without emotion, work can be seen and quickly forgotten. With it, associations last longer and become more meaningful.
Be Relevant
Relevance ensures the work connects to real lives, real culture, and real moments.
It is about understanding where a brand meaningfully fits into someone’s world and why it belongs there. Relevance prevents creativity from feeling self-indulgent and helps it feel useful, timely, and human.
Not every pillar matters equally every time
The framework is not about maximising every pillar on every piece of work.
Different moments require different emphases. A new product launch might need to prioritise difference and innovation. A mature brand might focus more on emotion and relevance. What matters is making those choices consciously, rather than defaulting to what feels safe or familiar.
When brands lose distinctiveness, it is often because these decisions stop being made deliberately. Category conventions take over. Popular content types get repeated. Performance metrics start driving creative choices in isolation.
That is where work begins to blend in.
Why distinctiveness matters now more than ever
The marketing funnel no longer behaves in a neat, linear way. Brand and conversion now influence each other constantly. Social content can drive immediate purchase. Retail moments can build long-term brand meaning. Every touchpoint has more weight than it used to.
In that environment, distinctiveness is not a brand layer you add on at the top. It is a commercial advantage that needs to exist throughout the journey.
Distinctive work builds stronger memory structures, reduces reliance on paid media over time, and gives brands a better chance of being chosen when it matters.
WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN APPLY THE FRAMEWORK? TALK TO TOMMY
