In marketing, as in comedy, originality is the key to success

There’s an adage: “don’t tell me you’re funny – make me laugh”. This really comes into play when somebody finds out you do stand-up comedy: “You’re a stand up, are you? Go on then – tell me a joke”.

A distinctive and original voice will connect with an audience and will help them remember your act even if they can’t remember your name on a four-act bill.

People think being on stage is the scary moment, but I’d take a mic and spotlight every single time over a stranger, one-on-one, throwing down the gauntlet of saying “make me laugh”. This is because comedy isn’t just the words you say, it’s the nebulous collection of qualities that surround it too.

In a comedy club, there’s the simple fact of being on a stage with a mic in your hand. Until you prove otherwise, you’re afforded the perception of funny just by being there. Plus, the audience is there ready to - hopefully - hear killer gags and have a great night. This context gives you an amazing head start.

Above: Comedians Jack Dee and Eddie Izzard have distinct voices which set them apart.

Then there’s all the elements that support the words you speak: your body language, your outfit, your delivery, the material that has gone immediately before. These add to the telling of a joke. Driving all this is something comedian’s call 'finding your voice'. Your voice is the DNA of your stage persona. It's your worldview, and informs what you want to say. It can be stumbled upon, or it can take years to find and refine, but it is essential to who you are onstage.

To give you an example of a voice, Jack Dee’s is one of a dour, misanthropic, grouch. That’s his worldview and the comedy comes from that persona’s interactions with the world around him and informs the whole presentation of his act. I believe what makes the truly great comics cut through and stand out is the distinctiveness and originality of that voice.

There are huge parallels to be drawn between brands identifying their 'why' and comedians finding their voice.

A distinctive and original voice will connect with an audience and will help them remember your act even if they can’t remember your name on a four-act bill. It will give bookers a reason to book you because they know you offer something new and thrilling to their audiences. The superb Eddie Izzard would be a gold standard example. Her voice began as 'action transvestite'. While it has subtly evolved throughout her career, it always comes back to that exploring, daring, exciting worldview. It frames every flight of fancy Eddie takes you on. It informs how she dresses, how she delivers her material and the topics she tackles. It’s unique. It’s memorable, and it can’t be copied without coming off as a poor imitation.

And that [and here's the Sunday morning sermon-level thematic pivot] is where brands can learn a great deal from comedy. There are huge parallels to be drawn between brands identifying their 'why' – as Simon Sinek has famously invited us all to do – and comedians finding their voice. For both, it’s the motivation to do what you do. Acts that have unique, impossible to copy styles cut through and stay in the mind, mirroring the distinctiveness that [professor of marketing science] Byron Sharp highlights as being essential for a brand to achieve growth.

Above: Author and speaker Simon Sinek's famous TED talk about 'starting with why'.