How to dilute your marketing voice, right out of the game

There are very few businesses being driven with their own unique personality.

Bluntly, most 'businesses voices and personalities' are either too medicinal and industrial, or just plain timid and non unique.

There are also others creating copycatting versions of some other personality or voice in the marketplace who actually does have clout and positioning and presence.

But, what if you actually do have a unique voice and positioning, (or you want to have that uniqueness from the get go) how do you actually dilute and water down that voice, without you actually realising that it's happening?

One way is to have some other voice represent you in your marketing and communications. And in that process, have them end up not sounding like you at all. A cheap suit version.  

And that happens when someone aiming to represent you, doesn't have a deep understanding of your mannerisms, your little quirks and foibles, your way of structuring sentences, your use of analogies and metaphors, your unique language patterns.    

They've not mastered, you. 

They're not interested in creating an Oscar winning performance for you on your behalf.     

And diluted, fake representations in communications can be spotted a mile away by the right audience, just like a knock off Luis Vuitton clutch bag can be spotted by a keen-eyed bag connoisseur.  

The ever respected pioneers of the direct response marketing world, Jay Abraham and Dan Kennedy, have recently had their personalities in print, be clumsily butchered by cheap representations of those speaking on their behalf's.

For specific reasons (amongst them being lack of time and poor health) their once powerful communications and messages, have been outsourced and as such, given the cheap fake version by those who just haven't locked in to how JA and DK actually think, speak and write.

Now they may think they know. But it certainly doesn't come across in the various communications. 

Now to be fair, the headline of this post doesn't necessarily suggest that they'll both be diluted right out of the marketplace because of having their voices watered down and neutralised by those attempting to sound like them in print (they've too much marketing positioning and embedment into the market's psyche). 

But, it does suggest that if you're an owner, an entrepreneur, a business builder or marketer, you want to find your own unique voice and bring that to the marketplace.

And, to not be a watered down version of anyone else.

Doesn't matter what the industry, business sector or niche...

There's ALWAYS room for the non-conformists, the unconventionals, the contrarians, the thud creators, the rebels with a cause, the bold and the courageous. 

Play the communication and positioning game like everyone else and guess what, you'll quite rightly get labelled and commoditised as a sound-a-like, a mee-too, a samey samey.   

Fact is, many like (and revel in it to some extent) being the tribute band version. 

The AI incarnation of an existing voice. 

No unique creativity or thinking, required. 

And that's probably why it's an acceptable way to be for many.    

It's a path of little to no resistance.

But, when you're the authentic cat on the block, no one can mess with your standing by way of trying to copy it and then create their own marketplace uniqueness.  

Can't happen.    

Richard Branson - unique voice and personality.
Steve Jobs - unique voice and personality
Muhammad Ali - unique voice and personality
Elvis Presley - unique voice and personality

The good news is you do NOT have to be a goliath in the game of business, entertainment or sport in order to create a unique positioning (clue - they all started at one time with just an idea and nothing else, and grew into the giants they were) so... having fat whopping marketplace positioning and access to unlimited resources isn't the name of the game.

Being a unique voice in a marketplace that's filled with conformity and dullness IS the name of the game. 

Want to create a UNIQUE marketplace voice? Then start with getting the FREE BOOK that'll help you find your personality and voice in your writing.               

 

 

 

Scrap the Elvis-look-a-like marketing

The mad lookalike Elvis leaped on the judges table and started gyrating his hips and voice - just like Elvis.

Or so he thought.

It was only when the Britain's Got Talent Judges - led by Simon Cowell, told the fellow to politely get the hell off the stage, did the Elvis non look-a-like and non sound a-like, know to hit the road, Jack.

That's the problem trying to ape and mimic someone else - unless you get it ditto awesome, is that you'll be in for both ridicule and... a severe pasting. 

Not only that; you'll have given up all that was personal and unique to you and your business - your own identity and uniqueness.

And yet, on that same show, another contestant applied his Elvis spin, and his Michael Jackson spin, and his Justin Beiber spin and guess what... not only did his performance have the judges thrilled that they came to work that day, but the audience were left breathless and in awe at what they'd seen - they literally had their breath, taken away by what they'd seen.

And yes, I did, too.

One fellow got the boot for trying too hard to be a copy cat authentic... who won over, no-one. (Read that again)

And the other, found a way to create a unique identity by reinventing the existing authentic.... and had all on their feet in one collective applause (Read THAT one again... multiple times)  

Most marketing - most communications - most copywriting is...for most businesses in most industries in most countries -- are nothing but copycat versions of mediocrity.

For example - most communications are soaked in oodles of the 100 most boring verbs in the English language - repetitively.

Oh, and how interesting, because what do you think the NO.1 most committed marketing sin is, everywhere?

Being boring!

Numero Uno Elvis impersonator above got the boot because of (among many things)... being devastatingly boring and un-unique.  

He came a cropper because of overlumping too many of those desperately dull, dry-as-toast communication moves in his drab repertoire.   

He became a commodity no-one wanted, instantly. 

He had ZERO personal unique narrative. He stood for nothing. He became nothing. He got nothing. (Except, the boot)  

The same kind of marketing and communication strategies are being employed by too many businesses who have brains, but aren't directing them in a way that has their audiences (target market, current customers and clients) to sit up, wag their tails and demand more of that unique style and experience they crave.    

Most are Elvis-ing their communications and service in the same way most do in business. And, they're doing it wastefully and badly.  

What about you, your business?

What's your personal authentic narrative for your business, for your service, for your occupation?

You got your collars up like Elvis and strut around in that white studded leather jacket? Or, you shifting and reinventing and making yourself memorable and unique?

If you intend to sing it like Elvis, collars, jacket and all the trimmings... sorry, this old Hound Dog can't help you.

However, if you want to be the King or (Queen) Creole of the business or industry or business category you play in, then let's see if we can't have your competitors Crying in the Chapel.

It's Now or Never.


Want customised communications specifically for your business? raja.hireker@gmail.com