morning boy's letters on serious matters and commentary on funny things aplenty
Are marketers online making so much content that they forget the message in the process of making content? Is it that there are marketers who do not think of the message at all?
Of course, some marketers are doing it just right. A good weaving of content + message. Content backing up the message.
But what’s a message? Well, think about it. And then create your content.
Message, first.
Content, second.
Many new purchases force folks into new movements.
Movements depend on habits. Or is it the other way? Habits depend on movements.
Make a new move, feel good, make a new habit. That’s the challenge for start-ups.
Now how many moves can folks fit into their day?
One that has defined and differentiated itself well.
And one that is looking forward to finding its definition and differentiation.
The way things have happened, both kinds have gotten funding.
Both want amazing employees.
Amazing employees should go for the first kind, irrespective of the difference in monies on offer.
The sequence below is hypothetical but powerful in its simplicity to reveal the tragedy that is garment selling and shopping in India.
Sometimes even tailors got the fit wrong in spite of all the measurements. And most of the times, tailors didn’t have the fancy skills to match the desires, visions and fashions.
In-store readymades changed that. Plenty of variety, plenty to try in front of the mirror and variety of looks to pick from. The errors in ‘tailoring’ and ‘making’ got obscured by the sheer number available to try and fit into. Even if one unit didn’t fit, you could try another unit of the same design and it would fit.
When they started with online readymades, they kept the errors in ‘tailoring’ and ‘making’, removed the facility of ‘trying’ any number of things to get into a good fit, and instead started tom-tomming variety of lacs and crores of units.
Selling fashion online is tragic for a lot of people, sellers and buyers both. But then tragedies consume time and the time spent in contributing to tragedies eventually flips them into happiness. Starting up over and over is happiness too.
Dear Al,
I could address you as Dear Al Ries or Dear Mr. Ries, but I feel closer to you than that.
Dear Al, what would you say about differentiation in today’s world of start-ups? I wonder.
Start-ups get plenty of money. They bomb the media with their money. They have messages but nothing sounds memorable, forget sensible.
Sustainability is in fashion. But the start-up has to be sustainably different too.
Start-ups don’t seem to understand categories either.
Do I have to read your books once again? Do start-ups have to?
Do I need more money to understand the start-ups marketing strategy? Is it money that I am not able to understand?
Late realization! But then I am so often late.
Start-up is a unit.
Start-up is a unit of stock.
Start-up is a unit of stock that can be stocked by a stockist.
Start-up is a unit of stock that can be stocked by a stockist, and bought and sold based on opportunities.
Start-up is a unit of stock and start-up founders are creators of stock for the purpose of trading.
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