If someone snuck into my closet and switched out one brand of sneakers for a similar model from another company, it wouldn’t bother me much. Popular cars like the Camry, the Civic and the Elantra don’t have raving fans the way the Mini or the Rivian do. Go to the rental car counter and take what’s on offer.

Popular products and services succeed because they’re normal, reliable, convenient, cheap or simply incumbents. If someone expected to stay at the Hyatt but finds themselves at the Marriott, it’s probably not a big deal to them, because both brands have worked hard to find themselves in the center, sanding off idiosyncrasies and inconveniences to get there.

And thus, the fork in the road: If you’re building something remarkable, memorable and important, you’re simply not going to appeal to the masses for precisely those reasons.

This isn’t about being the most expensive. It’s a different sort of elitism–the elitism consumers choose. The decision to invest time in learning about the options, caring about the small differences and feeling confident enough to develop an opinion.

Sure, some people care about Budweiser or Coke, but that’s not what those brands stand for.

If you want to build a mass brand, invest in convenience and normalcy.

And if you want to be particular, memorable and worth what it takes for fans to be loyal and committed, don’t chase the people who don’t care that much.

Either you make something that costs more and is worth more than it costs… or you chase convenience, ubiquity and low price.

“This might not be for you,” is a fine slogan.