01
We must be constantly vigilant of the temptation to retreat to what feels comfortable. Everybody has jumped on everybody else’s trains at breakneck speed, because sameness is safe, sameness won’t cause outrage and sameness works in all formats. But here lies the problem. Sameness can be learned.
02
The only antidote to all of this is to strive to find the brand’s truth, to look to its purpose or reason for being, and then build from there. Layer narratives and human stories, and even random, spontaneous ideas that resonate with the viewer. Essentially, a balance must be struck.
03
Don’t just ask consumers to pay attention to your business. Instead, start doing the kinds of unique and unusual things that attract attention in order to make your business distinct.
People can copy skills, expertise and knowledge, which are all replicable with enough time and effort. What’s not replicable is who you truly are - your style, your personality, your sense of activism, and your unique way of finding creative solutions to complicated problems. So lean on that in your work. Sell your way of thinking as much as you would a commodity.
04
Naomi Klein believes that a new movement, one very much in line with the mind-set of companies of one, is breaking away from global brands with questionable morals that focus on maximising profits over people, and that this movement will shift businesses toward slower, smaller, or on-demand strategies.
05
If you use your platform to teach, empower, and make customers lives or businesses better, you are seen as a trusted advisor, not a shady or slick salesperson.
JARVIS, Paul 2019. Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business. Great Britain: Penguin Business.