Home : Why Copycats Can't Succeed Today

Why Copycats Can't Succeed Today

Posted by Seth Godin on 7/19/2006 at 6:32 AM

Shake-it-up thinking for success in marketing, entrepreneurship and life

This is an essay about what it takes to create and sell something remarkable. It is a plea for originality, passion, guts, and daring. You can't be remarkable by following someone else who's remarkable.

One way to figure out a great theory is to look at what's working in the real world and determine what the successes have in common. But what could the Four Seasons and Motel 6 possibly have in common? Or Nieman Marcus and Wal-Mart? Or Nokia (bringing out new hardware every 30 days or so) and Nintendo (marketing the same Game Boy for 14 years in a row)?

It's like trying to drive, looking in the rearview mirror! The thing that all of those companies have in common is that they have nothing in common. They are outliers. They're on the fringes. Superfast or superslow. Very exclusive or very cheap. Extremely big or extremely small. The reason it's so hard to follow the leader is this: The leader is the leader precisely because he did something remarkable. And that remarkable thing is now taken - so it's no longer remarkable when you decide to do it.

Seth Godin is a marketing consultant, author and visionary. His many best-selling books include All Marketers are Liarsand Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.

Editor's note: For more cutting-edge marketing wisdom, read Trump University Marketing 101 by Trump University's Don Sexton.

Seth Godin is one of America’s wisest and most original marketing thinkers. His best-selling books include All Marketers are Liars and Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.

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10 Comments

Posted by Ina Matijevic on 07/19/2006 8:21 AM

GODin SETH klicks other heads!Very,very funny:-)))

Posted by Ch. Hammerman on 07/19/2006 8:30 AM

The underlying problem often is coming up with original ideas. I use the early morning, before I am completely awake, to let my mind latch onto things that interest it - often just idle thoughts. I try to capture them

Posted by Richard Guyon on 07/19/2006 7:02 PM

I'm not able to agree with this point. Any industry leader is "only the leader" so long as they continue growing, expanding, and meeting the never changing demand of the consumer. Given the right drive and innovation to any concept, improvements are possible, and a new industry leader can be born. Call me stubborn, but I never accept anything as perfection to stand for any period of time, with the expansion of technology daily, an industry leader can quickly find themselves left in the dust. These are the types of challenges I crave, I constantly battle for the king of the hill position using new methods daily for customers, so I don't believe there is ever an industry leader, just a temporary holder of the position.

Posted by Chris Bryant on 07/21/2006 8:56 AM

The point of "copycats cannot win" is very applicable to small business owners. I've been successful in business because I've looked at the "big boys" in my fields over the years and thought, "What can I do that they cannot do because of their size?" That simple question -- and the answer, of course - has helped me launch highly successful businesses.

Posted by Alex Chaney on 07/24/2006 5:11 PM

Don't get me started on how wrong you are here.

Know your history. Check the top billionaires and you will unfortunately find too many innovators.

Coke and Pepsi don't taste all that different and McDonalds and Burger King have similiar menus.

Starbucks rules the roast, but Cosi is closing in.

Trailblazing is great, risky as all hell, but great. Just don't be so quick to walk away from an idea once the plan has been executed

Posted by Shaun Carter on 07/24/2006 9:31 PM

I can't agree with the notion that only the first to market can be successful. Many times it's the later arrivals that come to market more prepared and with a less expensive production process - usually outsourced.

Anyone who can copy a successful business and do what they do cheaper and more efficiently will eventually overtake the current market leader.

Posted by Marc Schmitz on 07/25/2006 4:54 AM

McDonald's and Burger King both sell burgers but there still is a difference. McD's burgers are fried while BK's are flame broiled... That is the typical Japanese approach to something. Take something good and make it into somehing better (different).

Posted by Linda morgan. on 07/27/2006 9:19 PM

Think smart, think big, thatswhy we have big companys today.AND TO ME THATS A FACT . Think aboutit, you get where your at thinking big to get where you want just to have faith,you will get there.we have extremely and remarbable companys today thats why they grow. standing

Posted by Charles McGill on 07/28/2006 7:05 AM

Copying is learning, everything is copied, tweeking with innovation makes it different from the copy. Bell copied someone elses work and turned a screw to make an intermittent signal into the telephone.

Regards Charlie

Posted by Rachael Sutton #1253595 on 11/30/2008 11:14 PM

They say copying is the greatest form of flattery, but personally, I prefer originality unless we are talking about following instructions.

I don't think either approach discussed here is the only way to do things. I think your approach to your product has to be determined based on the specific situation. For example, take marshmallows - that is definitely a copycat situation. I don't see any differentiation except maybe price and freshenss (and if your really lucky, placement) but they all sell. Then, look at cell phones and how many different kinds there are. What we really need to know is if there is a demand.

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