What are you selling, and what's unique about it?
If you can't say it, people won't know it
This journal features observations, reflections, and ruminations on:
Novelty, empathy, and simplicity in product, experience, and communication.
How ideas spread, what shapes behavior, and how behavior shapes decisions.
Brands, ads, and fads—the good, the bad, and the entertaining.
AI chatbots are proliferating, but many lack the human touch. To truly connect, businesses can focus on understanding rather than just efficiency. By prioritizing empathy and genuine helpfulness, companies can create AI interactions that build rapport, shape brand perception and pass the “Caring test.”
While traditional market research methods rely on what people say, neuroscientific tools like EEG and fMRI—though expensive to use—decipher what they really think. Mindspeller achieves the same insight for a fraction of the cost by harnessing the latest scientific breakthrough, as demonstrated in a pitch to Coca-Cola (to realign one of its brands, Simply Juices, with deeper subconscious consumer associations).
Brand Name Domain Social Media Handles
Securing an ideal brand name with a matching domain and social media handles is increasingly challenging due to high demand and domain squatting. While a consistent name across platforms is desirable, it's often impractical or costly. Prioritizing a clear, pronounceable, and indicative brand name is more crucial than exact domain and handle matches.
Prompt the Genie
Artificial intelligence responds much like a genie—powerful, capable, but entirely dependent on how it's asked. The difference between noise and insight often lies in the clarity of the prompt.
AI brand leadership emerges as today's Oklahoma Land Rush — startups stake claims through unique differentiation, seamless simplicity, and customer obsession. Like Google dominated search, future AI leaders will blend clear and unique value propositions, intuitive experiences, and freemium generosity to carve irreplaceable mental real estate.
A look back at where I came from, the path I ended up on, and the lessons I'm picking up along the way.
In an example of a challenge converted into advantage, the U.S. Virgin Islands can differentiate itself in a saturated Caribbean tourism market by embracing its unique topography. Instead of competing solely on beaches, the VI can promote its mountainous terrain and jeep treks as a distinctive adventure, transforming perceived travel inconveniences into memorable experiences.
Life-changing lessons in loyalty and responsibility I picked up from a chance encounter with a stray puppy.
From Queen Victoria's diamond-encrusted timepiece to modern icons like the Eclipse, Patek Philippe watches symbolize elegance and enduring craftsmanship. Aunt Marta’s passion for women's Patek watches evolved into personal legacy, in a story that culminates in a heartfelt family moment.
“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.”
— Leo Tolstoy
Shorts
A Cheesy Value Proposition
The food industry—one of those categories where small changes can lead to large profits—is filled with products that originated as a twist on an existing one and ended up spawning a whole new category.
In 1976, Frank Baker, the son of a growing mozzarella plant owner, came up with an ingenious way to expand the business without significantly increasing costs. To answer demand for personalized cheese snacks, Frank started selling rope-shaped slices of mozzarella. He discovered that soaking the strips in salt brine made them stringy. Packing them individually, Frank created a new product and, eventually, an entire category—string cheese.
Pleasant to look at, easy to hold, and fun to handle, the new snack quickly became a favorite with kids and a staple in many lunch boxes across the US. String cheese found its core audience, and the rest is history.
Population growth, increasing prosperity, and expanding interests create room for never-before-seen products and services. It doesn’t take a leap to create a winning value proposition. Sometimes all it takes is reimagining an existing staple like cheese.
Marketing Weasel Words
When we speak, we sometimes need a few moments to gather our thoughts and inject a weasel here and there.
But when it comes to marketing and advertising—an industry where billions of dollars go into communicating and conveying information— there’s no excuse for clutter, bridges, or weasels.
The words and phrases in the growing list below are used in traditional advertising, digital campaigns, direct marketing, and other channels. Copywriters use them to sell pharmaceuticals, food, drink, cars, and everything in between.
Most of this messaging falls on deaf ears because we all know a weasel when we hear one, especially when it’s mixed in with some trade jargon.
Sometimes there’s no way around them, but beyond a few weasels here and there, we can (and should) do better.
Eliminating copy weasels forces the writer to be honest, specific, and committed, making the writing more relatable and effective.
This is a call to action to all marketers, advertisers, and anyone else who cares about communication—myself included—let’s go easy on transition words, cut the clutter-copy, and get rid of marketing weasels.
Clichés
- Whether (this or that)
- Enabling
- Facilitate
- Disrupting
It’s all about us
- We’re dedicated to
- We know
- We believe
- We recognize
- We need to do better
- We’re committed (to)
- Working closely (with)
- We’re committed (Such a copout. If you’re committed to something, say it, commit, don’t omit.)
Overused and overdone
- Say hello/ Say goodbye
- Meet Bob
Redundant and Regurgitated
- Redefined
- Reimagined
Cringe
- You deserve…
- Because (you’re worth it)
- Elevate
- Embrace
- Unleash
- Unlock
- Discover
- Imagine (Don’t tell me what to imagine, make me feel it! Apologies to Lennon.)
Any additions?
The Difference Between Brand and Marketing Strategy
Brand strategy
WHAT: what it looks like, what it says, and what it feels like. Positioning, value, identity, and the message that describes it.
WHO: the people who need, want, or will want what the brand offers.
WHY: the reason they want it, choose it, and prefer it.
Marketing strategy
HOW: a plan to reach an audience and convey the message
WHERE: the channels through which the message is delivered.
If used as two parts of the same system, brand and marketing strategy complement each other and
Have Your Bidet and Have a Good Day
My concept: A guy scrubbing himself in the shower with toilet paper. Chunks fall off and pieces of paper clump with body hair into greasy lumps.
A line reads: If you’re not using it on your body, why use it on your booty?
The pitch came second and I received $500 along with a Tushy bidet.
My next entry was for Airbnb’s most unique and eco-friendly concept home contest. I pitched the Sunflower Home: An anamorphic design and green exterior mimic the stem, and yellow-colored solar panels mimic the petals—opening at sunrise and closing at sunset. The interior is designed in a Fibonacci pattern, with a spiral staircase that leads to a cozy stargazing patio.
I haven’t heard back from Airbnb, but I want to build the Sunflower Home even if my concept doesn’t win. I already have a Tushy bidet for the eco-friendly bathroom.
Can AI Replace Human Writers?
Human writers can use their own experiences, observations, and emotions to create stories that evoke a range of emotions in readers.
AI technology is not capable of producing this kind of writing.
Writers have the unique ability to craft stories that are informed by their life experiences and can relate to readers on a personal level.
AI technology is powerful and helpful, but it cannot replicate the unique power of the human experience.
Lastly, this entire section (up until this paragraph) was “written” by AI.
Were you “fooled”?
How does the writing compare to that of a human?
Without Differentiation, No One Pays Attention
Our brains are primed to notice change; we evolved to notice the unique, novel, or unexpected.
Generic and repetitive blends with the background or gets ignored, while the distinct and different—if not excites—then at least gains attention.
“In differentiation, not in uniformity, lies the path of progress” ―Louis D. Brandeis
An Example of a Premium Value Proposition
There are five main reasons to my economic insanity:
- Structure: I know what to expect from each class, and the instructor helps me follow the workout.
- I can “switch off” my brain (at least the analytical side), which vacates my attention to focus on maximizing results.
- Goals and measurable progress increase efficiency
- Fifty minutes, four times a week, doesn’t seem like a lot, but if measured as benefit per unit of time, the workout provides more value in less time than the standard gym workout.
- Lastly, we’re pack animals. I could’ve done all the same exercises on my own time, but the primordial sense of togetherness, competition, and camaraderie motivates me to achieve better results.
Paying money to carry heavy things might seem odd to someone who’s carrying heavy things under pressure for a living. But value is subjective, and some people are willing to pay $250 each month to turn off their brains and do some structured manual labor a few times a week.
What is the Accent Color for?
An increase in quantity diminishes the accent color’s uniqueness. The more frequently the color appears, the less attention it attracts. A single red tree in a green forest stands out, but a forest of red trees is the collective property of the forest.
To be effective, an accent color needs to be used strategically. One drop of accent color to attract attention where it’s needed.
Value Proposition in 5 Steps
What people know about you defines their perception and shapes their decisions. A clear value proposition bridges what you offer with what people truly need or want. The more original, empathetic, and clear the VP is, the greater its impact. Crafting one is an ongoing process of listening, shaping, and refining. Below is my five-step process:
1) Do some research, analysis, and soul-searching to answer three main questions in ten words or less. No fluff, only bare facts (brass tacks):
- What are you selling?
- Who is your audience?
- Why would they stand in your line?
2) Synthesize the three into a single sentence that a five-year-old would understand. For example, the value proposition of this blog is:
- WHAT: a succinct explanation of how to create a VP
- WHO: for people who want to communicate what they do and how it’s different
- WHY: It provides clarity and saves time
Value proposition: A short guide to creating an impactful value proposition.
3) Test your value proposition for effectiveness. Is it:
a. Unique (new, different or first to the mind)?
b. Relevant (something people need, want, or care about)?
c. Simple (clear and succinct)?
4) Test your value proposition on people. Did they understand what you sell, and what makes it special?
5) Iterate until they do.
Good luck!
A Sales Pitch or Advice From a Friend
The last time I went shopping for some clothes, I encountered two different types of salesmen in two different stores. Here’s a snippet of what I think is the difference between a salesman and a helpful friend.
The first salesman felt genuine, helpful, and not too “salesy,” as in, I’m happy that you’re here, but I’ll be fine if you decide to leave. Ironically, it made the product feel more appealing.
We had a casual conversation, and he listened and offered viable solutions to my problem. We talked about fabrics and what they felt like, about trends, and what went well with what. He empathized and answered questions I didn’t know I had, while not even trying to “sell to me”.
The second salesman tracked me from the entrance. He wasn’t quite there all the time, but I could sense him “hovering” around. He finally found the moment to ask me, in his most formal tone, whether I knew what I liked and knew what I was looking for. (I didn’t, hence the visit to the store.)
The main difference between the two salesmen is: It felt as if the first was genuinely interested in my needs and wanted to help. He knew his stuff, and I felt I could rely on him to tell me what I needed. The second salesman was nice and knew his stuff as well, but the conversation felt forced and disingenuous. I felt him selling. (Needless to say, I bought from the first salesman.)
Conclusion: When you talk to a friend, your passion, conviction, and genuine desire to help sell better than any “sales technique,” since what drives you is your friend’s benefit rather than a sales commission.
I prefer a genuine recommendation from a friend to a stranger selling to me. How about you?
P.S. In How Brands Grow (part 2), Byron Sharp discusses the effects of sharing the Word (in Word Of Mouth—WOM marketing) on the sharer of the word. In many ways, we convince ourselves of the merits of the product or the brand when we advocate for it to gain social credits. (Jenny is smart, she knows her laptops.) So who’s selling to whom, really?
There is no selling without caring.