The above slide is a quote from Peter Van Stolk
Even if you’re a global multi-billion dollar outfit, you still have to be that little guy. Nike demonstrate that their base of operations is clearly one born out of an environment that rewards calculated risk taking. Where else could they concoct such ideas as Nike 6.0? (see what Nike is doing in San Clemente)
The trouble is that organizations are historically propelled towards economies. Any business management or economist worth their salt would have been well versed at school in the nature of economies of scale and scope. The business raison d’etre it appears is to drive economies.
The corollary of the above is that because “big” is the norm, we confuse the finger pointing at the Moon with the Moon itself. We teach marketing students that scale affords benefits to media buying and to awareness.
BIG no longer buys you a place at youth’s top table (pay attention Pepsi). BIG no longer makes your marketing relevant even if you turn it on its head and call it a social network (see Pepsi Youniverse).
You see, being relevant means being the “little guy”. Big business can learn a heck of a lot from the “tiny business“. It means resonating with the 10% – the Passionistas – whether you’re top line is measured in thousands or billions.
Running with the little guy means being the agent of change whether you’re a planner within the mother brand like Dan Pankraz or a “brand renegade” like Ian Stewart of Friendster.
Running with the little guy means finding a niche rather than simply trying to outsmart the big guys on their own terms. Like Monster Energy drinks, Gary Beck of Teen Masters demonstrates that a lot can be effected by simply by finding a vehicle to give youth a voice – something they can be passionate about and something, similarly, that you love. Whether others do or not remains inconsequential.
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