Globalization has imposed new rules of the game in the business world, for entering markets, but, more importantly, for circulating on the same. Therefore, the key thing is to stand out from the competition in order to stand out in the market and become dominant on it. We need to offer the market a unique solution, a solution that is different from everything that is already offered on the market to become a Purple Cow.
If you are not able to offer the market anything more and nothing different than your competition while doing the same business, you are doomed to price bidding. That is why being different is the first step towards creating a business that is worth more in the eyes of clients and to which they are willing to provide trust, time and money.
However, differentiation alone is not enough to achieve success. When you detect a problem that potential customers have, and you and your competition are developing a solution for it, make sure that your solution is bold, creative and that best meets the unmet needs of customers, and thus the market. So you have to find a solution that no one else has thought of and that no one else is talking about.
However, before defining a solution, it is necessary to detect the problem. Ask yourself if the problem whose solutions your industry is really looking for is right, timely and most urgent at the moment. If not, be bold and come up with a solution whose problems have not been in focus until then. Because, for example, isn’t new, innovative packaging, pricing, delivery, product or service differentiation a problem that everyone in your industry is focused on? And therefore -> create a trend. Start the story. Have a vision. Let others continue on it. Set your own rules for the market, but also for the competition.
The question behind all the philosophy of successful marketing is: do you have a solution in which potential customers will be willing to invest their funds? The solution they will want to pay for?
Remember, being different is not enough. The word “different” must have a special, higher, “extreme” value worth paying for.
For the begining, when researching the market, sit down with your customers (if you have them) or a specific segment of your market and ask them some direct questions. Reason? Often just your customers know what distinguishes you from competiton, even better than you.
Once you get the answers to the question of what it is that sets you apart from the competition in the eyes of customers, move on to the next step. It is time to start examining, digging, looking for the unmet needs that your existing and potential customers are crying out for. You need to try to understand why there is a need for a specific solution and whether it is absolutely necessary, because the secret of success is to offer a solution to a problem that no one else solves. At least not until you solve it.
Aside from the questions you have to ask customers, it may be even more important that you ask yourself some relevant questions.
It is important to define:
- What is the biggest challenge you face in your industry?
- Why is it important to find a solution to this challenge right now?
- How much effort did you put into finding that solution?
- What creates a problem for you in defining a solution to the problem?
- How difficult was it to reach a solution?
- Can you realize it at all?
Apple and Google are perhaps the best examples of how to highlight your product / service in a sea of competition. Namely, despite the fact that in 1984 there were many computer manufacturers, Apple launched its Macintosh and stood out among the competition. They provided a solution to a problem that was not even posed. At least until then. Design and user experience have been imposed as a basic customer need. On the other hand, in 1998, Google, by launching its search engine, soon surpassed all other search engines that existed years ago, all thanks to their thinking “outside the box”. A new approach to ranking search results and a clean design were enough to set new rules for the market.
What makes Apple, Google, Snapchat, Coca-Cola and Amazon leaders in their industry, apart from differentiating from the competition, are the optimal combination of people, strategy, execution and purpose. For all these segments Operando is at your service!
And finally, as Seth Godin would say in his book, The Purple Cow, “Transform your business by being remarkable! A prominent product is the key to success. ”
It may not be the safest or easiest way to succeed, but if you take this business model seriously, the results in market positioning will certainly not be missed.
And so – be a purple cow in a sea of brown!
