How Different Should You be in a Different Market?

Raise your hands if you’ve ever heard the next few statements at a conference:

1. On an ordinary market you have to be different.
2. Being different gets you noticed.
3. Being different will get you attention.
4. What does being different mean?
5. Think differently. Act differently.

Well? We’re a pretty big number, right? The people you’ve heard saying these things must have experienced the idea of being different. And ultimately, if everyone has experienced being “different” my question is:

How different can you be in a different market?

We’re in a field where you have to be different (or do you?). And if you’re different, and you, and you, and you….then we’re all alike in our difference, right? So we’re alike in being different.

But I wonder again, why do we want to be different? Because we want to create a new/different market, a new/different way of thinking, a new/different shelf, a new/different principle, a new/different idea, a new/different trend, a new/different difference….That’s pretty much like “I’ve reinvented health/food/comfort/holiday“. Like reinventing the wheel but giving it a more human touch. Well, then why don’t you say “I’ve rebranded health”? Moreover…I am curious to see who will be the first player who’ll take the prize of “the first one who rebranded the wheel”.

My first hand experience with the idea of rebranding from my first blog “katairobi” to my actual blog “Markataing” was weird, repulsive, disappointing and especially difficult. It’s not easy being different on the market.

Because you cannot say you’re different from the first steps. You have to keep going so that people can see you differently.

So, how different do we have to be in a different market? And furthermore…is this difference going to have the proper impact? Do we want to be different? How much do we sacrifice in order to be different?

In conclusion:

It’s useless struggling to be different if we’re not also remarkable through results!