In the mind of the consumer you must use a differentiating idea to market yourself or your product. To build your brand you must use a differentiating idea and that idea must be simple and built around differentiation.
WHAT’S “DIFFERENTIATION?”
Within our product and service culture we are bombarded by endless choices . . . Millions of similar products and services impinge with demands to “buy, buy!” There is an ever expanding sea of categories and they are constantly dividing so more and more choices present themselves. The only way a product can stand out is to show that it is different from the rest. This is differentiation and the author say you must be unique to be a success.
LACK OF DIFFERENTIATION IS GROWING
Because of the gigantic spread of products and product categories, the author, Trout, cites the work of Rosser Reeves who codified the term UPS – Unique Selling Proposition. To counteract this trend of poor advertising focus in a gigantic sea of choices, advertises must return to these three principles;
UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION
• Each ad make a proposition to the customer.
• It must be a unique offer.
• It must move the listener/reader to action.HOW TO BUILD A BRANDI was very interested in this section . . . because I’m building my brand, Wisdomgame. Our logo is to Entertain, Educate, and Enlighten but our motto is “Serious Fun!”Trout says the most important aspect of branding is differentiation -- being different in the perception of the consumer. That’s easy to understand. If there are a million choices, there must be some reason to pick certain products. They have to be special, or different in some way.So I’m making my brand different.
Wisdomgame is not just fun. We’re “Serious Fun!”
UPS: UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION
He says “Since logic is a science, it’s logical that constructing a unique selling proposition should be a science, not an art. Here are the steps he gives;
1. Make sense in context. What you really want to get is a quick snapshot of the perceptions that exist in the mind (the general “Mind.”)
2. Find the Differentiating Idea. You have to be unique and one of a kind and find something that separates you from the competitors
3. Have Credentials: Be able to demonstrate your products difference.
4. Communicate your Difference. Change the perceptions of the consumer.Bottom line: Since a real differentiating idea is also a real motivation tool, you can’t over-communicate your difference. The lesson is not to try and tell your total story. You just have to focus on one powerful differentiating idea and drive it into the mind. (The general Mind).This book was a real eye opener to me and really helped me.
This book is very deep and goes on to explain human motivation and the needs of business in the age of the transparent Internet. I have only explained a small portion of “Differentiate or Die.” It’s full of very interesting examples from Mr. Trout’s extensive business knowledge and corporate experience as a marketer. I really enjoyed this book as it is written with a wry sense of humor. The depth of information is probably best suited to professionals, but if you’re interesting in the subject and if you take a little time to understand what he’s saying, your personal brand and your business brand will benefit greatly as you see the necessity of standing out by being unique. You must differentiate or die!
A fine book and very informative. I loved it. Five stars.
Buy it!
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