Blink/Blank

A quotation that I find myself often sharing with clients recently (and one that I know Steven often mentions as well) is from Rick Nobles, who writes:

"A brand trying to appeal to everyone isn't a brand at all, just a watered-down commodity. And a commodity never attracts a raving fan -- it attracts indifference. In a crowded marketplace, indifference will kill you."

It is amazing how most firms (especially asset management firms) try to be all things to all people.

The writer Malcolm Gladwell, for example, isn't for everyone (which Gladwell touches on in his amusing Web site disclosure statement) and according to this guy, he looks like Sideshow Bob. Despite his detractors, both of his books have a ton of raving fans. For example, his most recent book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, is #20 in Book sales on Amazon.com and features almost 500 customer reviews. His unique (and I think extremely enjoyable) writing style has now inspired an extremely humorous knock-off, Blank: The Power of Not Actually Thinking at All, by Noah Tall (say it out loud and you'll get the author's name).

Do you have a unique enough brand that people are out there talking about you, your company, or your product (either positively or negatively)?