The Power of Differentiation

You see, Midwest Express needed something to differentiate themselves, to make themselves clearly different than everyone else. Lots of other airlines can duplicate a 100% first class plane. So it had to be something they could own, something that would stand out.

And in a touch of brilliance, they came up with chocolate chip cookies.

So sometime about 3 hours into the flight tomorrow the cabin will be slowly filled with the aroma that reminds you of Mom, comfort and home as the cookies bake.

And they taste really good too!

Those cookies have created not only a great deal of brand awareness for Midwest Express, but a great deal of publicity too.

I can tell you, that I'll even pay an upcharge (not too much, but some) to fly Midwest Express, especially on long flights. And I know that I'm not alone. Now that's marketing!)

Some other examples:

- I know of one high-end women's clothing boutique that has high tea every afternoon. Not just tea - but the good stuff, like crumpets, cucumber sandwiches, etc. To their customers, they're a destination, the place to be at that time every day when they are in town.

- Gubernatorial candidate from Ohio, Tim Hagan, has come up with a powerful tool to not only get publicity, but votes. He does it with his website parodying the AFLAC duck and his opponent Governor Bob Taft at www.TaftQuack.com

In this website, Mr. Hagan shows Internet commercials, asking a duck, wearing Gov. Taft's face with a bill in place of his nose, some of the campaign's challenging questions. For example, when he asks why Gov. Taft has no specific plans to overcome the budget deficits, the duck shouts "duck" and falls off the screen, then pops up again, and says "TaftQuack". I encourage you to visit -it's significantly more entertaining than it sounds.

Besides generating a lawsuit from AFLAC, this commercial has done wonderful things for Mr. Hagan's candidacy. He's generated 1.2 million visits, and it has helped him to gain between 8 and 11 percentage points in the polls. Now we don't recommend creating lawsuits, but the campaign does indicate that the publicity about the suit has generated even higher levels of buzz about the site and his candidacy.

It's also gotten him media. The site (and it's commercial) have appeared in media throughout Ohio, has been on "The Tonight Show" twice, and the Fox morning news.

The key is to have something that is visible, recognizable, ownable and reproducible, that's consistent with your desired image. By doing so, you can have a consumer and a press gold mine.

Want more information on how to make an impact? Review our special reports #5: How to Identify Story Ideas Within Your Company or Organization #9: How to Snag Free Publicity for Your New Business and the Audio CD/Cassette Brand Your Business and Make Your Profits Explode!

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