Be one of a kind

Want to know how to proceed when others rush to copy your company’s product or service? Be one of a kind. Easier said than done, but this should be your central focus. Distinguish your company such that it’s unmistakable — a diamond in the rough, a rose among thorns — and the way you do that could be surprising.

You can distinguish your company through product, perception, or both. The best case scenario is distinguish in both. For product, it means creating something unclonable — something so unique that an attempted clone would fail so miserably that you actually WANT your competition to try. For perception, it means creating a brand personality that customers love — so much so that their decision is obvious, even in the case of a cloned product.

When Netflix was gaining momentum in the early days, Blockbuster attempted to compete with their streaming service. This attempted clone of Netflix only emboldened Netflix’s position when the two were compared. Perception-wise, Netflix was one of a kind as well.

If you create something great, you will be copied. Be one of a kind, and you’ll prevail.