Tell-tale signs your brand isn’t working: #3 Me-Tooism
07 June 2017
There are many things wrong with this world – disappointing broadband speeds, Jar Jar Binks, incessant trout pout selfies. But for us, there’s one wrong that stands out above all the others – branding copycats. It’s one of the massive mistakes that we’ve identified in our series of tell-tale signs your brand isn’t working and we call it ‘Me-tooism’.
What makes the danger of ‘Me-tooism’ more real is how tempting it is for a new business to commit this cardinal sin. The scenario goes something like this: you’ve got your business, you want to tell the world, you look at what your successful competitors are doing and, hey presto, you’re aping them so hard that Charlton Heston is waving his fists at the sky in horror. Lie down, patient, you’ve contracted ‘blandular fever’.
Of course, we understand that when you see someone in your sector doing something ace that’s working, you want a slice of the action. But ask yourself this: If you were an artist manager, would you hire a Rihanna lookalike and still expect a sell-out world tour? The copycat isn’t a patch on the real deal, and everyone knows it. So if we take this analogy off the stage and back to your business, the best case scenario is that you’re going to blend into the background with your bland identity. The worst case? You’re going to look like a rubbish knock off. Either way, this ain’t what you want your customers to see.
We understand the temptation to reach for a slice of ‘Me-tooism’ – when you’re starting out it’s pretty damn scary to be different, right? Chances are, you’ll feel much more comfortable if you’re following the pack and you’ll think that playing it safe and sensible is the way to go, so why not use tried and tested techniques? This is where Robot Mascot go full on Simon Cowell and slam the red buzzer. Step away from the safety zone people because there is nothing for you there. Whether it’s comfortable or not, there’s only one way to make a big splash in your sector – be as different as possible.
When I sit down with a client to take them through the creative options we’ve come up with, I ask them which one makes them feel the most uncomfortable. The reason? This ‘uncomfortable’ option is often the one they should go with. If it raises your heart rate and gives you the sweats, it’s working already because it means it’s a move far out of the comfort zone. But you’ve got to summon your inner Indiana Jones and take a leap of faith if you want that holy grail. And who doesn’t want to have cojones as big as that fedora wearing, whip-cracking bad ass who plays Han Solo on his days off?
We believe that your brand can stand out, be innovative and work wonders without riding on anyone else’s coat-tails. Give us a call and together we’ll make your brand distinctive.
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