The Normal Brand: Brand Positioning Case Study

I (Tyler here 👋) recently bought a couple things from a new men’s clothing chain.

The name “The Normal Brand” intrigued me.

Then a week passes and I get a handwritten thank you card. I was shocked.

Don’t see Gap, JCrew, H&M, etc. doing that with their marketing budget.

But it made me feel seen and known. And now I’m writing about them in this newsletter. 

This is the holy grail of marketing — word of mouth.

And that's why they’re this week’s brand breakdown.

Let’s get into it…

💼 The Brand: The Normal Brand

• The Normal Brand is an up and coming clothing company started by a few brothers who simply wanted to make “normal” clothes better.
• With thousands of social followers and store fronts in several states — they’re a small(er) brand, but growing at breakneck speed.

💛 The Heart (Purpose and Values)

• The Normal Brand embraces its down-home, mid-western roots and places an emphasis on values like quality, pride, dependability, and trustworthiness.

👤 The Head (Positioning and Strategy)

• The Normal Brand positions itself as the exact opposite of fast fashion. Stressing over the smallest details and going so far as to invent a name for their fabric: “Purmeso.”

• They have a strong ecomm presence,  but operate with a boutique approach. This means higher price points, higher quality, and the allure of elevated ruggedness.
• Their brick and mortar spots hammer these points home. From scented candles reminiscent of the Abercrombie & Fitch stores of yesteryear to the whiskey bars in the back — they create an experience that’s hard to forget.
• The Normal Brand wants to make one thing clear: this isn’t your local Dillards.

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✋ The Hands (Tactics)

Here’s a few of the ways that the Normal Brand is capturing the hearts and minds of their audience…

• Values Driven Ambassadors Program - Plenty of brands pay influencers. But the Normal Brand is picky, only accepting partners that align with their values such as “family and hard work.”

• Handwritten Thank You Cards - Who the heck takes the time to handwrite anything anymore? All the more reason why this tactic makes them stand out.

• Visuals That Nail Their Position — By a campfire. Near a stream. Sipping coffee. Leaning against a cabin. Every product shot further instills their positioning of “elevated ruggedness.”

⚡️ Find Your Emotional Edge Like The Normal Brand

Take a few seconds and look at those images above. The handwritten card. The fact that they put a whiskey bar in their stores. None of it is super practical. But all of it makes you *feel* something. 

This is what we mean by finding your emotional edge. It’s how you win hearts and minds. And it’s all about the little things.

So how do YOU do it? Well, first, it helps to get clear on who you are, what you’re about, and how you’re different.

Once you’ve defined that, it gets a lot easier to hone your emotional edge. Since The Normal Brand wants to position their brand as “elevated ruggedness” and “timeless quality you can trust” — they find opportunities to showcase that in their marketing.

From their ambassador program, to their product shots, to handwritten cards — they find ways to keep hammering this point home. You can do the same for your brand. 

Once you know who you are, then it’s all about looking for ways to drive the point home.

And don't get discouraged by how difficult it is to track results.

You might not know the open rate of a hand written card, but I’d venture to bet it’s 2-3X higher than the typical marketing email.

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