Running in the opposite direction

Running in the opposite direction Like stock market day traders seeking that perfect moment to buy and sell their securities, marketers keep a watchful eye on consumer trends and preferences, hoping to be the first to recognize, define, and capture a new market.

Their goal? Hop on the rollercoaster before it starts, ride it up the track through “fad,” past “craze,” until they reach “trend,” (at the top) then hop off safely...before the screaming starts on the way down. And, like the old line about the quality of the view for the lead dog versus the rest of the team, there’s no other place but the first car on this rollercoaster. With rare exceptions, marketing has two places – first and last.

Consider, then, the low carb diet trend. Dr. Atkins was known, but not broadly revered until the South Beach alternative appeared (fad). Marketers of traditionally high carb products began to respond (craze) by altering nearly anything consumable to reduce its carb number.

But, with the new advertising campaign for a low carb wine, we’ve reached full-fledged trend status, and it’s only a matter of time before the descent begins. That’s right...a low carb wine. Kind of makes you wonder how much wine you need to consume before carbs become an issue, doesn’t it?

The companies that have, perhaps, been most hurt by this fascination are the pasta makers. Once a staple enjoyed by thin and not-so-thin folks, pasta has become persona non grata in the low carb world, leaving the industry scrambling to come up with – gasp – low carb noodles. The result has been nothing short of a disaster for manufacturers and their shareholders.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this fiscal hemorrhaging is that nobody has headed off in the opposite direction by launching a marketing program along the lines of, “Hey, we know it’s pasta. And we like it.”

Imagine the leadership opportunity inherent in saying, essentially, “This too shall pass. And when it does, people will want real pasta again.” When billboards promote low carb wine, the “pasta is OK again” roller coaster is headed for the staging area. Time will tell if anyone will be on board when it departs.

When should you consider running in the opposite direction from everyone else?

• When you’ll just be the next “me too.” That snoring you hear is the marketplace responding to the next food group claiming to have a low carb alternative. After all, do we really need low carb breath mints? What bandwagons in your industry can you jump off – or not even get on in the first place?
  
  
• When the competition outspends you. Nothing makes you work harder at being different than a budget disparity. Even if your message is more crisp and clever, there’s something to be said for sheer frequency. If you can’t be everywhere they are, be different – and more memorable.
  
  
• When doing so can define – or redefine – you. The marketplace is rife with successful brands that were built on the premise of "different," rather than "superior." Sound funny? Remember, it’s the customers who decide which brand is superior. Being different gives them a reason to give you a try.

The message? No matter how risky it seems, sometimes, the best course is to suck it up and play a big game of “What if?” And, if you need a wine suggestion for that creative work session...