‘The Real Thing’ - Your Customers Want To Know

Coke. It’s the ‘real thing.’ Remember that jingle sung from the hills of the Alps by a diverse group of young people? OK, I’m dating myself, after all not everyone is 50…or soon to be.
It was a seminal moment in the marketing of Coca-Cola. Coke decided to be ‘the’ cola. In reality, they were just one of many; Pepsi, RC Cola, Diet Right Cola, TaB, and whole host of generic and regional colas. By adopting “the real thing’ as they’re marketing mantra, Coke eliminated competition…at least for a few years. Why? Because by assuming the identity of ‘the real’ cola, the competition fell away in the mind of the customer. Suddenly, everyone wanted ‘The Real Thing.’

How does this effect your small business? You’ve got to be ‘the real thing’ to your audience. You’ve got to represent one defining characteristic beyond your competition. What are you known for? Speed was adopted by Domino’s Pizza (Delivered in thirty minutes or it’s free); FedEx adopted reliable overnight delivery (When it absolutely has to be there overnight).

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about how to find out what you’re one thing might be. But for now, here’s my….

Question: What are you known for? or What would you like to be known for?

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