Chasing the wave vs. Rolling with the tide (fads vs. trends)
Maybe you’ve heard this expression?
A fad is the wave in the ocean
A trend is the tide.
The fad is very visible, but it goes up and down in a big hurry.
A fad gets a lot of hype, a trend gets very little.
Like the tide, a trend is almost invisible, but it’s always there.
How many businesses have you seen on a quick rise? Build up assets and accumulate overheads, only to bottom out on the other end?
Or,
How many business leaders have taken their eye off their core offering, because they’ve been caught up with the ‘new shiny thing’ in their industry and gravitated towards something that will make a ‘quick buck’.
Even if these businesses survive, they show their colours as someone that will jump from fad to fad and lack consistency, forever fleeting to the next big thing.
How much confidence do you think their customers have in them after a few stunts like this?
In the context of marketing, I see this all the time, and it shows up in three areas;
They try and attach to an aspirational customer that doesn’t really fit their business, or they try too hard to please everyone with a pulse [MARKET]
In regards to their products or services - they want to deviate from their core offering to ‘capitalise’ on something, or diversify too heavily [OFFER]
They only stick to one marketing channel, or, they mindlessly spray across all of them because #FOMO [PRESENCE]
It’s the Law Of Acceleration when we strive for quick jumps, we’re subsequently met with quick falls.
** if you want to know more about the Law Of Acceleration - highly recommend 22 Immutable Laws Of Marketing
On the flip side, by taking the time to get clear on where we need to focus, we are met with steady growth - consistent with the trends that you would have been able to accurately identify.
When we understand our market, we won’t stray to cater for people that won’t extend any loyalty. We’ll attract the ones that are prepared to pay for value.
When we understand the value of our offer to our market (in their eyes), we continuously iterate and improve, rather than to look to start anew, and haphazardly launch new products with little fanfare or practicality.
When we understand where their attention is, we don’t feel the need to get frantic dilute our message in the process. Our presence is noticed, and curated in a way that becomes naturally cohesive and connects on a deeper level.
So having read all of this, where do you feel you putting your time and energy?
Are you working towards capitalising on a fad, or are you taking advantage of the greater trend?
Don’t chase the waves, work with the tide.
It makes for a smoother ride.
Zac
Ps. you may have noticed that Market, Offer, Presence equates to MOP - get these right and you can clean up a lot of uncertainty and misdirected focus around your marketing.