The Courage to be Different

A cornerstone of modern marketing is “market differentiation” aka “separating yourself from your competitors,” “unlocking your unique value proposition” and a host of other BS-sounding marketing and economics phrases that make many people’s eyes roll. Ok, so here’s a question…Do you have REALLY have the COURAGE to be different? And courage is the correct word. I mean, we’re socialized from a very young age to “fit in” and of course, the we quickly learn the penalties for standing out. nike huarache Remember the famous scene from “Dead Poets Society” (such a great movie) when Robin Williams’ Mr. Keating character had all the boys march in the courtyard? How quickly they all came together in unison. See there? Unison is comfortable to us. It contains inherently less risk. soldes nike air max pas cher But…unison doesn’t work so well in the world of marketing. louboutin pas cher There must be a pecking order, a pigeon-hole and probably at least 3-4 other bird-related terms that can and should be used here. But once again, it’s a risk. No risk, no reward, right? Someone recently asked me the attributes of my “perfect client” and I said one word — courage. My perfect client knows the risks, but has the courage to try new things, crazy ideas, stand apart and lead the parade with a big smile and a big stick. And not everything marketing cooks up is going to work perfectly. adidas zx flux amazon At times, apologies are in order. nike air max 1 Especially in this world that is SO ready to be offended by anything and everything. It occurs to me that great marketing isn’t safe marketing.