Be More Zebra: Why Bold Thinking and AI-Powered Creativity Will Define the Next Era of Growth
- laura3736
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
In a world where every business is shouting louder, posting more, and fighting for the same attention, blending in is the fastest route to irrelevance. Standing out - truly standing out - requires more than good marketing. It requires originality, intelligent strategy, and the courage to think differently.
At OSER, we call this the Be More Zebra philosophy.
Why “Be More Zebra”?
When you picture a zebra, you immediately think of stripes; unmistakable, impossible to copy, and designed with intention. The zebra doesn’t compete by roaring like a lion or trying to be the fastest in the herd. It wins by being exactly what it is: distinct, strategic, and impossible to miss.
Businesses can learn from that.
Most brands still operate in grayscale: safe marketing, generic messaging, predictable content, and campaigns that look exactly like their competitors. The result? Saturated markets packed with businesses fighting for the same inch of customer attention.
To break through, you need to think more boldly, act more creatively, and leverage AI intelligently, not as a shortcut, but as an amplifier of strategic thinking.
That’s what being more zebra means.
Standing Out Requires Intentional Distinctiveness
Being more zebra isn’t about being loud for the sake of it. It’s about building a brand with clarity, consistency, and conviction. It means:
Knowing your value and communicating it sharply
Developing a visual identity that people recognise instantly
Taking creative risks rooted in strategy
Using AI not to replace human insight but to scale it
This approach moves brands from forgettable to magnetic.
Where AI Meets Bold Thinking
For founders, CEOs, and investors, AI is both the biggest risk and the biggest opportunity. Used well, it opens up a new level of strategic advantage. Used poorly, it becomes another source of generic noise.
The Be More Zebra philosophy pushes businesses to combine:
Human instinct
Strategic thinking
Creative intelligence
Smart AI integration
AI becomes a force multiplier, accelerating insights, testing ideas faster, building better content, and unlocking creative opportunities that were impossible even two years ago.
Your competitors will use AI. But if they use it to create more of the same, this is your chance to lead by using it differently.
Laura’s Role in Leading the Zebra Movement
Laura Derbyshire, founder of OSER, brings this philosophy to life as a speaker, advisor, and trainer for founders, CEOs, and investors.
She delivers keynotes and workshops across three core pillars:
Brand Strategy: helping businesses define their difference and build brands that stand out.
Creativity: teaching leaders how to generate stronger ideas, solve complex challenges, and think boldly.
AI-Powered Marketing: showing teams how to blend human creativity with intelligent AI workflows for scalable growth.
Her sessions are known for being practical, high-energy, strategically sharp, and immediately actionable.
Why This Matters Now
Markets are noisier than ever. Attention is shorter. Competition is global. And AI has lowered the barrier to entry for content, copy, and campaigns.
But while AI can create more, it can’t create distinctive - not without a human mind guiding it.
The brands that win the next decade will be the ones that:
Commit to originality
Understand their audience deeply
Build systems that combine strategy and creativity
Leverage AI as a tool for innovation, not imitation
These are the zebras.
A Call to Founders, CEOs, and Investors
If your market is crowded, your competitors are catching up, or your brand feels stuck in grayscale, the solution isn’t to work harder, it’s to work bolder.
Being more zebra is no longer optional. It’s the new competitive edge.
OSER is here to help you build it.