We recently came across a series of videos of families using these arrow headbands to easily spot their kids in crowded places (school pick-up, theme parks, malls), and it got me thinking - How can we apply this to business - How can you stick out of the crowd?
In a world that's obsessed with automation and commoditization, sticking out can often feel impossible. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a creative, or just someone trying to make your mark, the ability to stand out has never been more valuable — or more misunderstood.
Why Do We Blend In?
Because it's safe. "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down." When you stick out, you are inviting criticism, and that's a level of risk most people aren't comfortable with. It's risky enough to start a business, why add more uncertainty to the mix?
Because it's predictable. Give them what they want. If you're looking to open a burger restaurant, the expected thing to do is to serve food found at other burger restaurants - burgers and fries - rather than try to reinvent an already beloved tradition.
Because it's easy. Being unique means there's no guidebook to follow, no leader to imitate. Blending in allows you to copy-paste and move quickly.
Why Should You Stick Out?
One word - noise. It's never been an easier time to turn any idea into a reality. And while that's a tremendous blessing (we ourselves are beneficiaries of that) it also means anyone can do it. Take the sticker shop category for example. Going back to the 1960's, there were approximately 50 companies worldwide that exclusively made stickers, largely due to the popularity of bumper stickers during US presidential campaigns. Fast-forward to today, and the estimate is between 20,000 and 50,000 individual shops (and now you can add 1 more to that estimate!). Given the sheer number of players in the marketplace, you have to rise above the noise or you'll find yourself drowning in it. You may have the best product, but how are people supposed to know that?
How Should You Stick Out?
We touched on this in the last article, but it boils down to who is your shop is for and what is special about you? Or another way of asking the same question - what is your secret sauce? We've been pondering over this for a while, and believe we've come up with the answer - it's the thought, time and care we put into each sticker design. We believe in quality over quantity, and don't just push out ideas for the sake of selection. Take the following 3 stickers for example:
Stickers are like memes, but with less room to communicate. We believe the key to a good design is relatability - you should "get it" without having to overthink it. Don't try to do too much or you may find the message becoming clouded. The art and text should work in tandem to communicate that message quickly, but as you spend more time reviewing the details, that message should become more clear. But beyond just the art and the text, one area that is often an afterthought is actually the font choice. While "a picture is worth a thousand words", the chosen font is worth a thousand and one. The right font not only enhances readability, but also brings the image together seamlessly.
Where Should You Stick Out?
Everywhere? Not Quite. It's easy to assume more is better, but when it comes to sticking out, less is more. Being strategic and intentional with where your brand is available helps you better control your messaging. The value of face-to-face interactions with customers (at farmer's markets, pop-up shows, conventions) is immeasurable and critical especially in the early days of building your brand. Our company is still of size and reach where we have the ability to read every comment and engage with nearly every customer (whether online or at a convention). But as we've expanded into retail and wholesale we've felt some of that disconnect. That being said, one downside of being a carefully curated brand is the difficulty to scale. When Peter Rahal co-founded RXBAR, he put his personal phone number on the packaging. This was partly because the company was small and scrappy, but also because he believed direct feedback was essential to making a better product and building real customer trust. Fast forward a decade and $600M later, that simply can't scale. Being smart about where and how your products are available - especially in the early days - will better help you understand and build the brand your customers want.
The bottom line is this - blending in may be easier, but sticking out is worth the trouble! The world doesn't need any more copies - it needs more originals! The people who change the world are the ones brave enough to stick out.
