Zero-G Creative

Want inspiration? Look outside your industry

Nov 01 2007

Whenever we think about making a change in our marketing materials, whether it’s brochures, mailers, web, etc., it seems almost instinctual to go look at what your competition is doing. That isn’t a bad idea — it’s always good to know what your competition is doing. But it is a mistake to let your competition make your marketing decisions for you.

Company A offers this and so we have to also… Company B has this on their home page so we should too.

When you’re looking for inspiration for a design or marketing change, this is what will naturally happen if you only look within your industry. Whether consciously or not, your company will start to look and feel more like your competition. And if they take the same approach with their next marketing tweak, over time you’ll all become the same.

If you want to differentiate, look to a wide variety of sources for inspiration. Look at things that have nothing to do with your business. Go to the mall, browse on the Internet, learn about companies and industries you’ve never encountered. That’s what will really inspire you and help you take your marketing to the next level.

And remember… Just because your competition is doing something, it doesn’t mean it’s successful. Unlike public companies, small businesses don’t have regular SEC filings and financial press releases. We can’t just open up their balance sheets and income statements and see how they’re doing. Don’t assume that all of your competition’s new products/services are doing well just because they sound good on the web site. “Me too” can be a disastrous strategy for a small business. But unfortunately, it’s very easy to get sucked into.

Published by Erik Wolf under Marketing Materials