5 ways to differentiate your company is highly competitive markets

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5 Ways to Differentiate Your Company in a Highly Competitive Marketplace

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5 Ways to Differentiate Your Company in a Highly Competitive Marketplace

Jeff OgdenThe Fearless CompetitorPresident, Find New CustomersHost of Mad Marketing TV

Agenda

How one company used humor to get attention

The power of online video with thought leadership

Why doing the unexpected generates results

Why you really need to “Let Your Freak Flag Fly.”

Some actual case studies

Poll Question

How is YOUR company doing at differentiation?

The Crux of the Problem

Snap Shot“2-3 years ago, just producing content made you different, but it has truly “crossed the chasm” and now nearly everyone is doing content marketing. So more than ever, you need break away from the pack.”

*Doug Kessler, Velocity Partners on Mad Marketing TV

Formula of Effective Content

Relevant X Distinctive = Effective

The Velocity Mind Map

Content Differentiation

Ideas Attitude

Media

StyleDesign

Promotion

Honesty

Hard work

Confidence

Controversy?

New

Prezi?

Pllopit?

Surprising

Animation?

Direct

Plain-speakingFresh

Transparency

Sharing negatives

Added value

Original research

Outbound

Social

Cross-promote

Original With a point of view

Poll Question

How are you doing at differentiating your content?

Pursue the Fun

Fun is the most important factor

How To Differentiate – Number One | Humor

Humor – Powerful but deadly

Humor – Personify advantages

Humor – Make Fun of Industry

How To Differentiate – Number Two | Thought Leadership

Startup Software Company

June 2008 – Beta Release of softwareNovember 2010 – Raises $4 millionMarch 2011 – General ReleaseJune 2011 – Raises $10 millionNovember 2011 – Launches Mad Marketing TV

Thought Leadership thru Video

Jenn Lim, CEODelivering Happiness(Zappos creation)

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Awesome Guests

Thought Leadership thru Video

Act-On Reports 405% revenue growth. Expands internationally.

Employee count grows 600%.

Growth in new customers second only to Marketo.

“What we saw in the VEST report is a huge growth by Act-On Software,” David Raab said. “[The company] is out there at a very low price point.”

How To Differentiate – Number Three | Do the Unexpected

Do the Unexpected

How To Differentiate – Number Four | Let Your Freak Flag Fly

Our Way of Thinking

“Let Your Freak Flag Fly”

Urban Word of the DayA characteristic, mannerism, or appearance of a person, either subtle or overt, which implies unique, eccentric, creative, adventurous or unconventional thinking.

How To Differentiate – Number Five | Make it a game

Way 5 – Create a Contest

Case Studies

Case Studies

Take risks, be bold. Move faster, be creative. Same budget, different use. SEO is in everything.

Competing against Goliaths requires new thinking. Company leadership makes it a priority.

Case Studies

They boost online ad results by using deep content marketing, the strategy of placing online ads deep within the websites of third parties.

Another tool in the B2B marketer's toolbox, deep content marketing specifically targets pages directly relating to your own products or services.

Case Studies

Print is dead. Or is it?

When magazines were slumping, it was up 16.5%. #1 in industry.

How? Dump the standard and “Let your freak flag fly.”

Emphasize laughs, inside jokes and fun., not a slick mag. E-Ink cover with QR code to bring Robt Downey Jr. to life.

“Esquire you see in 2012 is very different from 2006” – VP, Advertising at Ford

Case Studies

“The Anti-Kodak: How a US Firm Innovates and Thrives” WSJ 1/13/2012

Cheap imports a problem. First try, stop them. It failed.

Quickly diversified into new products and niches. Amassed thousands of patents. Hire the best, e.g. PhD’s “We’re an innovation company.” Debt free and double digit returns on invested capital.

What worked? Culture and willingness to change

Q & A

How to Find New Customers

Grab our free white paper, no registration needed.

http://www.findnewcustomers.com/How_To_Find_New_Customers

Where to Learn More

Visit Find New Customers www.findnewcustomers.com

Visit our Fearless Competitor blog www.fearlesscompetitor.com

Subscribe to Mad Marketing TV www.youtube.com/madmarketingtv

Check out my About Me profile http://about.me/jeffogden

Follow me on Twitter @fearlesscomp