Prioritize establishing market leadership by being the first in a category. This involves identifying uncontested niches and aggressively owning them through consistent messaging.
Write daily for clarity
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Maintain a disciplined writing routine to distill complex ideas into simple, actionable principles. Focus on clarity over jargon to reach broader audiences.
Reposition competitors strategically
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Analyze rival weaknesses to reframe their market perception. Use comparative messaging to highlight gaps in their offerings.
Avoid brand dilution
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Resist extending established brands into unrelated categories. Launch new brands instead to maintain clarity and ownership of core associations.
Leverage global branding
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Develop brands with cross-cultural appeal by focusing on universal human needs rather than regional nuances.
Use visual hammers
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Pair verbal brand messages with distinctive visual symbols (e.g., Nike's swoosh) to enhance memorability and emotional resonance.
Prioritize PR over ads
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Build credibility through earned media coverage rather than paid advertising. Use PR to establish category ownership before scaling campaigns.
Study historical patterns
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Analyze past market successes and failures to identify immutable laws of consumer behavior and category evolution.
Educate clients relentlessly
Impact:
Effort:
#Connections
Host workshops and strategy sessions to align stakeholders on positioning principles before executing campaigns.
Name brands strategically
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Choose short, evocative names that telegraph category ownership (e.g., 'iPhone' for internet-enabled phones). Avoid generic or confusing terms.
