Distinctive Stand Test
Make a brand specific enough to attract some people and repel others
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
The test evaluates whether a brand or culture statement contains real choices. First, hide the company name and ask whether the remaining language could belong to almost any business—or even a neighborhood yoga studio. Generic claims about growth, kindness, mission, and stretching fail. The team then clarifies what it stands for, what it stands against, whom it hopes to attract, and whom it is willing to repel. The target audience cannot be everyone. Some statements may be aspirational, but the company must distinguish those honestly from current reality and accept accountability for closing the gap. The output is a document with recognizable convictions and boundaries, strong enough that reasonable people may disagree with it while the intended audience understands why the organization is different.
Origin
Katie Burke and Kipp Bodnar developed this test through HubSpot's controversial early Culture Code and the problem of uninspired compromise.
Core principles
- 01A meaningful position excludes as well as attracts
- 02Universal approval produces generic language
- 03Specific convictions require courage before consensus
- 04Aspirational claims need transparent acknowledgment of current gaps
How to run it
- 1
Run the anonymity test
Hide the company name and ask whether readers could identify the organization from the remaining language.
Pro tip Compare the text with competitors and unrelated organizations.
Watch out Familiar values are not distinctive merely because they are sincere.
- 2
Run the yoga-studio test
Remove phrases about growth, stretching, nice people, and mission that could plausibly advertise a local yoga studio.
Pro tip Replace abstractions with observable choices and behaviors.
Watch out Do not add jargon to make generic ideas seem unique.
- 3
Define the opposition
State which behaviors, trade-offs, practices, or beliefs the organization rejects.
Pro tip Connect every positive principle to a meaningful boundary.
Watch out Avoid attacking people; oppose choices or practices.
- 4
Narrow the audience
Name who will thrive under the position and explicitly accept that some people will not want it.
Pro tip Treat self-selection out as evidence that the message is informative.
Watch out A target audience of everyone invalidates the strategy.
- 5
Label aspirations honestly
Distinguish current strengths from public commitments the organization has not yet fully achieved.
Pro tip Pair aspirations with evidence and actions over time.
Watch out Presenting aspiration as current fact damages trust.
In the wild
HubSpot's Culture Code included strong views about autonomy that not every employee supported when it launched. Rather than smoothing the principle into universal workplace language, the company accepted that some readers would conclude HubSpot was not the right environment for them.
→ The Culture Code became useful for both attracting aligned people and helping others opt out.
Common mistakes
Writing for universal agreement
Language designed not to offend anyone becomes too generic to guide choices or establish identity.
Targeting everyone
A universal audience gives marketing no basis for prioritization, differentiation, or resonance.
Pretending aspirations are achieved
Failing to acknowledge the gap between present behavior and stated ambition creates hypocrisy rather than accountability.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for leaders defining company culture, brand values, positioning, or a focused target audience.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for mandatory legal policies that must prioritize comprehensive precision over distinctiveness.
From the transcript
“if you were to put your hand over the top of the document and at the company name and description, could it be a yoga…”
“they are as important for who they keep out as who they draw in.”
“You can't be for something if you're without being against something else, right?”
From the episode
Live from INBOUND: Does PR Still Matter? With Katie Burke and Kipp Bodnar
Katie Burke