You’re not like the others: becoming a Category of One

It's back-to-school season, so here's a pop quiz:

1) Who was the first person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean?

2) Who was the first woman (and 3rd person) to fly across the Atlantic?

3) Who was the second person to fly across the Atlantic?

Good news:  If you get 2 out of 3 right, you win!

I'm guessing that you probably knew that Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic first, and that Amelia Earhart was the first woman to accomplish this feat. 

Yay, you're a winner!

But why didn't you know the answer to #3: Bert Hinkler?

I have an idea why. –And the answer may have a huge impact on how you market your business.

All three people were daring pilots who crossed the Atlantic during the early days of flight. 

But Lindbergh (first) and Earhart (first woman) each created a “Category of One.” 

That is, if Amelia Earhart hadn't created a whole new category, she'd just be in the history books as the “third person to fly across the Atlantic.”

                              Amelia Earhart, badass pilot & marketing genius

(Poor Bert Hinkler. He may very well have been the best pilot, but only trivia-nerds like me still know his name).

 Most businesses focus their marketing on why they're better than others in the same category. 

But as marketing sages Al Ries & Jack Trout pointed out back in the 90s: “It's better to be first in a new category.”

Or, as famous branding-maven Sally Hogshead puts it: “Different is better than better.”

Think about it: 

Apple didn't create Mp3 players –but they were the first to prioritize beautiful, simple design in the technology.

Uber wasn't the first taxi company –but it was the first to focus on app-based service. 

How can you own a category? 

What differentiates you from others in your field? 

Hint: it doesn't have to be huge. It can be something small that you emphasize/amplify (ex. A popular NYC Italian restaurant stays full by emphasizing their extra, extra, piled-on use of garlic). 

It can also be a perceived difference (in the show Mad Men, Don Draper helps Lucky Strike beat the competition with the tagline “They're Toasted." –even though all cigarettes are toasted).

What can you emphasize? How are you different?

-Are you a massage therapist who focuses on outdoor-athletes like climbers and marathoners?

-Are you a cook who makes the absolute best, mouth-wateringest pies in town?

-Are you a business coach who's also a therapist (ahem), and puts businesses on the couch? 

Find your own category. 

Play it up in your message and marketing.

And watch your business… take flight :)

To your success,

Jane