Brewing Up a Business by Sam Calagione

Author:Sam Calagione
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2011-01-07T05:00:00+00:00

DON’T PASS UP THE CHANCE TO PROMOTE WHAT THE COMPETITION IS DOING

If you are building a brand, your biggest challenge is convincing the public that your product is a better value than your (usually much bigger and better-funded) competitors’ products. One way to convince potential customers about the value of your offering is to present it in contrast to those of a larger competitor. Choose the competitors you want to focus this contrast against wisely. The bigger the better for a number of reasons. First, their products are likely to be established and accepted in the marketplace. If you can present an argument for why your offering compares favorably to theirs, then the consumer can make an associative leap of faith as to why your offering deserves similar attention in the marketplace.

Second, it’s also important to remember that people in general (and the media especially) love a David and Goliath story. It makes no sense to set up your contrast to someone of a similar size and in a similar position to you. Remember, the smaller competitors within your industry are facing the same hurdles that you are and are usually equally oppressed by the bigger competitors. When you take on a big company, you subvert its brand equity. When you take on a smaller player, you may subvert not only its brand equity but yours as well by antagonizing an equally challenged small company.

Third, when you contrast yourself against a company approximately your size it will only serve to bring more attention to that competitor. Good or bad, attention is attention and if your story is going to be picked up by the media you are better off centering that story around a contrast to a bigger player than a fellow small player. Let the other small companies fight their own battles—don’t bring them into yours. Pick on someone not your own size.

If it’s possible, spend time in the marketplace. Roam. Ask questions. When someone in your target audience doesn’t buy your product, what are they buying instead? Use this feedback to structure your marketing in general and your publicity events in particular in a way that shows your product to be a better value in contrast to the most relevant competitors.

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