Zag > Zig
Differentiation isn’t about being objectively different from everything.
> It’s about being distinct in your comparison set.
> Or, in other words, when the world zigs, zag³.
Everyone’s saying it!
via Nudge
This EMARKETER podcast has me thinking…
Was the best way to ban TikTok actually to make a US contingent pay boatloads of money to onshore it, inviting perceptions of censorship and eroding the advertiser base?
Speaking of advertiser bases, time to zig while everyone zags to Meta.
Welcome to dead week planning week!
Reddit and mobile apps (Applovin’) are hot like Hansel with advertisers right now. There’s probably plenty of runway left for ad growth (unlike Meta), but the question remains:
Should you zig or should you zag?
via EMARKETER
I love this quote from Liquid Death’s chief media officer:
We have a rule at Liquid Death that if you expect us to do it, we should not do it
Zig when they expect you to zag!
via EMARKETER
American Eagle is taking a new route to reach its Gen Z audience—through the written word.
&
Though Substack may not be the first choice for brands to reach Gen Z, its appeal is rising among the younger generation.
Something something zig vs zag
Or, as I once said:
Short-form video has eaten the world, which means another format will soon disrupt it.
via EMARKETER
New study sheds light on the role of sound and music in gendered toy marketing
commercials aimed at boys, the soundtracks tended to be louder, more abrasive, and distorted, reinforcing notions of masculinity through harsher soundscapes. In contrast, ads targeting girls featured softer, more harmonious music, reinforcing traditional associations with femininity.
[music-primed gender schemas] merge aesthetic and gendered meanings, priming listeners to associate certain sounds with masculinity or femininity. In the context of advertising, this can reinforce narrow conceptions of gender roles, which, in turn, shape children’s perceptions of what is ‘appropriate’ for boys and girls
According to the first author, toy commercials can be described as “semiotic bombs,” packing multiple layers of meaning into short bursts of sound, imagery, and language.
Don’t just zig when your competitors zag, try zigging when your brain zags. Doing the opposite of what “feels right” or “normal” or “standard.”
Zig to your competitors’ zag and have much success.
contrarian investment funds far outperform their herd-fund rivals in several performance measurements, and that their managers have found ways to gather information that other managers haven’t figured out.
The study was specific to investment funds, but the thinking holds.
Do the same thing as everyone else and get worse results..
Herd behavior benefits the first movers.
Building on this post, I like the point made at the end of the episode.
The experiences are different because Sam’s Club zagged to Costco’s zig.
It makes sense to not replicate what your chief competitor is doing but offer something different and distinct because you’ll appeal to a different segment of consumers.
Find value for your consumers that’s not just being the cheapest product available, because you’re never going to win that race
Give consumers are compelling reason to shop at your store and trust your brand