Advertising is the price companies pay for being unoriginal

Let’s face it, we aren’t all blessed to have a product as sexy and with as much mass appeal as Apple has with its range of iStuff. It’s unlikely that major media would show up and provide free advertising if our turtle-necked leaders called a press conference to announce the next iteration of our widget. We’re off the hook to a certain extent in regards to our unoriginality but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t find ways to make our offering unique, exciting and novel.

• Zappos isn’t as successful as they are because they have shoes nobody else has
• The Grateful Dead didn’t tour endlessly for decades because they were the best musicians
• Perez Hilton doesn’t get millions of page views a day because he’s a great artist

They all found a way to take a product in a highly competitive market and make it completely original. Zappos distinguished themselves by making their customer service all about wowing their customers. The Dead toured somewhere in the vicinity of 2300 shows by helping foster a sense of community among their fans. Perez Hilton became “Hollywood’s most hated website” by ruthlessly attacking celebrities and drawing obscenities on their pictures.

Ultimately their success lies in their ability to innovate the way in which their offer is consumed. They face less if any competition because they are no longer one of many doing the same thing. They are the ONLY ones who do what they do.