Internet Marketing &
Business Promotion
Don't be the Best...Be the
First!
By Dr. Michel Fortin
Often,
many businesses build their entire marketing strategy
around a particular brand and its "better"
qualities. Claiming superiority smacks of being untrue
and is often a very risky endeavor. In other words,
if you claim that you're the best, your statement will
be suspect.
Years ago, a mentor once said to me that "Implication
is more powerful than specification." It is much
more effective to imply superiority -- to be perceived
as being a superior company or one with a superior product
-- than to simply being (or outright stating that one
is) superior. But how do you get others to perceive
that you're the best? How does one imply superiority
without stating it outright? The following are a few
pointers to guide you in that direction.
The First Always Lead If you're the first in some category,
you are also considered as the best. People have the
natural tendency to attribute superiority to a product
that's first in its category. But if you're not the
first, you can usually invent your own position. If
there's no category in which you can be first, then
create one. By being the first in your very own unique
category makes it tremendously difficult for competitors
to copy you. But even when your competitors do copy
you, their marketing efforts will only help to remind
people of you.
Being the first in the marketplace
is not as important as being the first in the mind of
the marketplace. Working with cosmetic surgeons,
I've personally experienced this undeniable truth. A
particular hair transplant doctor is one of the first
surgeons of this type. While superiority in this field
is a matter of artistic ability and not seniority, he
is still widely recognized as the best surgeon there
is -- even if he still uses outdated techniques.
Jack Trout and Al Ries, the fathers of positioning,
developed the category concept into a science. The first
law in their book "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing,"
which is the law of leadership, is based entirely on
the concept of being the first. In essence, the law
states that no two bodies can occupy the same space.
If you get to a position first, nobody else can ever
take your place. Hence, being the first virtually guarantees
your position.
You don't have to be the first with a product or service.
You only have to be the first in the consumer's mind.
By owning the leading position in the mind people will
automatically assume that you're the best. Why? It's
because uniqueness separates you from the rest rather
than compares you to them. It's immensely more effective
than actually being the best.
Create Your Own Category For instance, Ries and Trout
prove this point with a very simple question. They ask:
"Who was the third person to fly over the Atlantic
in a solo flight?" Now, if you're not a history
buff like me, you will more than likely be stumped.
Almost everyone remembers that Lindbergh was the first
because, being the first, he comes to mind immediately.
But if you were asked the same question but rephrased
in a different way (e.g., "Who was the first 'woman'
to fly over the Atlantic in a solo flight?"), your
answer will likely be "Amelia Earhart."
Look at your own life. What are the things you remember
the most? More than likely, you will remember your first
kiss, your first dance, your first love, your first
car, your first day of school, your first job, and your
first heartbreak. Can you remember your second kiss
let alone your fifth one? In all likelihood, you don't.
When it comes to marketing the same
holds true.
Many people try to compete by comparison and may even
generate
some recognition as a result of their efforts. But where
they often fail is in creating lasting top-of-mind awareness
by drowning their image in a currently known category
-- or ladder, if you will. Everybody knows who is the
first in some category or another, but rarely do people
remember who's second let alone third. If you market
your company as a better firm with a better product
or service at a better price, all you are really doing
is reminding others of that which you are better than,
which is
your competition.
Again, if there's no category in
which you can be the first, create one. Having your
very own category is powerful because it is impossible
for competitors to beat you. Being the first, your place
is therefore guaranteed and you will thus be perceived
as the best by default -- there's no competition!
Go the Other Way Coke, which was touted as being "The
Real Thing," is an old company with a hundred-year
old recipe locked in some secret safe. So, Pepsi decided
to go the other way and proclaimed that it was for the
"New Generation." On the other hand, 7UP floundered
until it became the "Uncola." As a result,
the more Coke and Pepsi advertised, the more it helped
7UP.
For a long time, Avis was an unknown car rental agency.
One day, it finally conceded that it was number two
-- second only after Hertz. Their "we try harder"
campaign, which focused on their underdog position,
turned the size of their bigger competitor into a negative.
Domino's Pizza was surely not the first pizzeria. But
by being the first to deliver its pizza "in 30
minutes or it's free," it went from a small restaurant
to a multimillion dollar franchise operation. And there
are countless other examples.
You can be the first to cater to a specific market,
the first to offer an alternative to an existing product
or service, or the first to cater to a market in a unique
way -- such as by offering an ordinary product or service
but with a unique twist. You can also customize a general
product or service for a specific market. For example,
you might be a travel agency. You could decide on being
the first to sell business trips catering exclusively
to financial institutions.
However, if you're not the first you might then market
yourself as "the first to serve the financially
inclined," "the leader in business trips for
bankers" or "the first travel agent for the
smart financier." In other words, don't be the
best in some existing category. Be the first in one
-- one you create.
------------------------------------------
Dr. Michel Fortin is an internationally acclaimed and
highly sought-after consultant whose marketing advice
has helped countless clients earn millions of dollars
in record time. Author of four books, his latest book,
"Power Positioning Dot Com" reveals how to
keep your product or service indelibly carved into your
prospects' uppermost consciousness at all times.
|
