On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, let’s talk about why it’s time to stop trying to fit in.

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There’s an ongoing trend in the business, startup and marketing world of companies trying to fit in. There have been studies that indicate that among the B2B tech space, as many as 70% of the brands are blue.

This urge to fit in seems to stem from a combination of several factors. One of which is that companies are trying to compete in the same market, and they end up adopting marketing trends that seems to be working, which just makes them look like carbon copies of each other.

The second part is the current culture of people seemingly being offended by the simplest things, or if something does not align with their beliefs. So companies try to be as non-offensive as possible, which in turn just make their brand into something bland.

“The overall strategy in people’s marketing, and frankly, in many people’s careers, is to achieve Marriott lobby status. So what’s a Marriott lobby? Marriott lobby is nice; It’s very functional. It’s effective. And it’s bland. It’s forgettable. And nobody ever said, “Wow, that was a fucking legendary Marriott lobby.””

– Christopher Lochhead

We get it: people have a primordial urge to stay in groups. We are pack animals, after all. Staying in a group is safe, staying in a group is comfortable. And having something in common lets us relate personally to a group, which is why marketing companies aim for those traits to relate to their market.

But at the end of the day, nobody legendary ever fit in. Because when you try to fit in, you become part of that whole, rather than something that defines it. And rather than companies trying to make their own markets and circles, they are being content in staying in the same circle, and competing for an ever-shrinking part of it, as more and more companies try to muscle their way in.

So be legendary, and start being different.

“And then I say fuck that, I’m going to follow my different. I’m going to focus on the things that are most meaningful to me, and most importantly, are going to make the biggest difference.”

– Christopher Lochhead

Christopher Lochhead

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