It might sound vague, even a little frustrating, but that’s usually a sign you’re talking to someone who’s actually thinking about your situation, not trying to give you a one-size-fits-all answer.
I was listening to April Dunford’s podcast this morning, and she made a
point I’ve been repeating for a while in both casual and professional
conversations:
👉 Best practices don’t really exist.
The trap of doing what everyone else does
In theory, best practices are meant to be reliable, repeatable methods, things that generally work across companies and contexts.
But when everyone follows the same advice, we all end up looking and
sounding the same.
Some might execute a little better, but the overall result is
uniformity, a sea of similar websites, posts, and brand voices.
That sameness doesn’t just make it harder to stand out, it also weakens
strategy.
If your approach is indistinguishable from the rest of your industry,
how can anyone tell what makes you different?
Every industry speaks a different language
Another problem is that “what works” depends entirely on where you’re operating.
The kind of marketing that feels right in gaming would fall flat in
Web3.
Web3, in turn, looks nothing like hospitality or consumer goods.
Even within a single industry, copying competitors rarely leads anywhere new.
Early in my career, I often looked at what others were doing, what
seemed to work, and tried to adapt it.
It helped me understand the landscape, but it also made me realize: if
everyone takes cues from each other, the whole category starts blending
together.
It’s like walking into a party where everyone’s wearing black.
You fit in, but you don’t stand out.
Our brains remember what’s different
Here’s the interesting part, and the reason this all matters.
Our brains are wired to notice change.
From an evolutionary standpoint, it was a survival tool. Detecting
what’s new or unexpected helped us react to potential threats or
opportunities.
But because paying attention consumes energy, our brains tend to tune out repetition.
That’s why you forget most of your daily commute, but you clearly remember that one morning something unusual happened.
The same thing happens in marketing.
When everything looks or sounds familiar, people’s brains simply skip
over it.
But when something breaks the pattern, a tone, color, message, or even
silence, it captures attention and sticks.
Doing things differently isn’t about being rebellious.
It’s about working with how people’s minds actually work.
A fresh set of eyes can go a long way
One last thought: sometimes, it helps to bring in someone outside your industry.
They’re not bound by all the invisible “rules” that insiders stop
questioning.
They might not know what’s “supposed” to work, and that’s often where
new ideas come from.
Of course, deep industry experience has its value. But combining it with an external perspective can open space for creativity and genuine innovation.
Maybe the only real “best practice” is to stay curious, to keep questioning, experimenting, and making room for difference.