One of the worst curses a business can have is the curse of forgettability.
This comes about when a business strives to be ‘better’ or ‘excellent’, without at the same time striving to be ‘different’.
Things that are different are remembered. Things that are generic, and similar don’t.
Good marketers know this and go out of their way to make their business different, and thus memorable.
Because at the end of the day, what are we trying to do with marketing? We want people to know us, like us, and want our products.
Well, your future customers won’t be able to like you nor want your product if they can’t remember who you are.
Therefore, before anyone can ‘persuade’ the masses to have a desire for their product and service, they need to be memorable. And the way that is achieved is by being different.
How do I become different?
On a macro view, if you think of car companies, you may not think there is any big difference between them. But on closer inspection, you’ll see some of them are actually VERY different, and this shows itself in the car company’s messaging.
Here’s some examples of positions some car companies have taken which help them become memorable and not generic:
- Volvo = safety
- Ferrari = speed
- Mercedes = luxury
- BMW = handling
- Toyota = dependable
Now let’s bring it back down to the street level with something common like pizza shops. They’re all the same right? Well, many are, but you’ll find that clever pizza shop owners go out of their way to make something different about their slice shop, and thus become memorable.
Here’s some examples of positions a pizza company can take:
- Pizza delivered FAST
- Gourmet artisan pizza
- Cheap pizza for $1
- Mexican pizza
- Vegan pizza
- Pizza for body builders
Instead of just being a better ‘slice’ shop, they have chosen a specific niche or quality, and then become known for that one thing.
And while this means they may lose some business from customers who are not looking for that quality, they do on the other hand gain a lot more traction with those who ARE looking for that niche.
A great marketer once said: you can’t be everything to everyone.
This is true. If you pick your niche, and become a master of it, you become different, memorable, and automatically get people coming to you for that niche, because that is what they want.
So, don’t be afraid to be different. Your business depends on it!
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