MarketingStrategy – Market yourself as different, not better
Haveyou ever seen the term "world's best" or "excellent" used as a description of aproduct or service? Who gave them this title and why does it mean? Everyone isbest on their side of the Earth.
Quotingyourself best over and over again is very cliché brand persona. Instead ofplaying the comparison game, find a place where no one can knock you out.
It'seasier for everyone when the brand persona is clear as it helps your customersto connect with you. It's a tough job for a marketer to project yourbrand when you don't have a clear brand persona. First thing you need to do isto define what your brand stands for.
Stopcomparing your brand with others
Nevermake the mistake of comparing your brand with your competitors. Stronger,faster, or more efficient aren't indicators of differentiation. You're notdifferent than your competitors when saying that.
Forexample, the biggest mistake that Pepsi made is that they kept on comparingthemselves to Coca Cola in their ads. This made the people believe that Pepsiis trying to dethrone Coca-Cola to become the best soft drink producer in theworld. It's like people know Coke is superior and are trying to undermineit. Therefore, they are and always will be the brand running up with CocaCola. This makes Coca Cola a part of Pepsi's brand personality.
Whilebeing better works, you'll always have to watch your back. You never know themoment a competitor becomes better, stronger, or faster than you and whensomething will come along and replace your brand. That's why you need to make aplace for yourself where you can't be beaten.
Find aPlace You Can't Be Knocked Out
This isone thing that every brand or business owner should do; find a spot to shineupon. You can't represent your brand as best in the world; try to make itunique which no one has thought of because people don't remember what good theyremember what's different.
Forexample, if you are marketing a smartphone by saying that it has more features,better camera and better storage this might achieve your goal. But in the longrun, the customer will be mentally worn out and will shift to a new and betterproduct. But if you're different, and truly embrace your difference thecustomer won't ever find anyone like your brand in the market.
This does not mean you have no competition.
Coke iswinning over Pepsi, but why isn't Nike crushing Adidas? Because both of themare unique in their ways. They both make sports apparel, but each of these brandsfound a unique spot to shine and rule over. Nike is more focused on the sportitself, partnering with the likes of Colin Kaepernick. Adidas is focusing onsport's fashion, partnering with Kanye West.
Thisdoes not mean they don't intervene in each other's world. They are competingand yet still all striving at the same time.
Customerswill see your brand as you want them to see
Thereare endless ways to define what your brand stands for, it can be pretty crazybut having a brand persona will always help you to market it better. But, inthe end, it comes down to one simple thing that how you market your brandpersona. If you are marketing yourself as better then that's how people willsee your brand, a better version of an already existing product. Have you seenany better version of Amazon, Apple or Google? No, therefore, you need to findwhat makes you different. You can't be a generalist in your brand personabecause no one likes a person or a brand without personality.
Forexample – Redbull isn't an energy drink. It's a drink for crazy people who loveextreme sensations.
Thereisn't much difference between Coke and Pepsi, nor much difference between mostsmartphone brands, laundry detergents, or coffee out there. Those who win themost market shares are those who sharply defined their brand's persona and haveused it over the years.
BottomLine
Stopmarketing yourself as better and start marketing yourself as different. Find aplace for you to shine and market the hell out of it. That's where you standout. That's how you attract new clients that eventually become fans.
"Inorder to be irreplaceable, one must always be different"
