Tiny is Mighty – Andre Chaperon

Hypothetical Example: How to Enter & Compete in a Hyper-Competitive Market

Let’s say you want to sell supplements to a dedicated bodybuilder crowd.

It’s a hyper-competitive market, so clearly you can’t half-ass this. It’s a POP that deeply understands what they need, to achieve the results they are after (in other words: the level of market sophistication is high; a level 5).

Regurgitated same-same information is not going to fly. So unless you want your ass handed to you — you either need to enter the field of play with a huge bankroll, or you need to apply some creative thinking to your marketing.

We’re all smart marketers here, so let’s go with the creative route. When you discover a NEW way of bringing awareness to this group of passionate peeps, dynamics will shift (pretty much guaranteed).

Let’s look at a “tiny” way of approaching a problem like this (this next bit is important, so pay attention!).

Entering a market already filled to the brim with information and products out the wazoo poses a challenge for many mass-thinking-marketers. Their approach is usually very generic and not aimed at any specific POP aside from the hyper-obvious one, which is … well … bodybuilders.

The approach can be two-fold:

The first approach is common and considered “good practice.” Create a product for a market you understand and are willing to serve beyond what your competition does (read: same, but better).

That’s a neat way of starting a new business — but expect some backlash. Don’t be surprised if the ride is a little bumpy. It can get muddy if you play in the same shark infested pool as every other bodybuilder product creator.

It “can” work — it does for many — but you better be dang awesome and refreshing with your offer (and have a bankroll to burn through and buddies to promote the bejesus out of your shiny-new-offer).

You’re setting yourself up for an uphill battle doing it this way.

It will be hard work unless your offer is unexpected and NEW (note: big ideas have a relatively short half-life). Understand that you’re competing in a super-crowded market place with a never-ending supply of different products already out there and selling, and more (“new”) offers flooding in all the time.

You vs. every bodybuilding guru with years of street cred under their belts and a Rolodex full for promo partners? You better come up with some major-mojo or prepare to pack up and run for the hills.

You can “elbow” your way in, but — shit — why would you waste time on that if there is a much simpler way that eliminates all of the competition (and market bias) in one fell swoop, just by reversing your approach?

I understand your eagerness to dive in head-first and start “screamvertising” your message at everybody that’s even remotely interested in bodybuilding. I get it because, in a way, it makes sense.

But…

What if we take what we know about the bodybuilding market and — using that knowledge — put together an awareness-building approach for a completely different POP, that would also (highly) benefit from the results?

Confused? No need, just read on…

Every day hundreds of thousands of women across the globe give birth to a new baby. It’s a safe and ever-expanding market (in other work: infinitely scalable).

Marketers in this market do the same “screamvertising” — human behavior is universal and predictable. New moms are exposed to baby insurance ads, ads for diaper subscriptions, formula, baby clothes, accessories, and a thousand other things.

New moms get buried in “baby specific” ads. Meaning: it’s all about their babies, not necessarily for them (dunno about you, but I smell an opportunity).

What about their needs, though?

What is mom dealing with?

What is on her mind?

What internal (emotional) struggles could she be struggling with that needs addressing?

It turns out that a large percentage of women suffer from “loose bellies” after giving birth. Makes sense, right? You can’t stretch something out for nine months and then expect it to magically snap-back into place.

Stretch marks, floppy belly due to relaxed ab muscles, loose skin; you get the idea.

Postpartum moms don’t want stretch-marks or floppy belly.

Sure, it’s not necessarily a number one concern (although for a lot of moms, it’s right up there with oxygen), but it will be a definite “thorn in the side” that they’re always aware of and would love to have solved.

Make no mistake: mom’s “floppy belly” is top of mind, always talking to her, whispering in her ear. It stars back at her each time she looks into the evil full-height mirror after every shower or bath.

If an interesting (and exciting) solution passes her eyes, her attention will snap into focus like a tractor-beam. ZAP!

Strengthening and tightening muscles happen the same for bodybuilder wannabes as it does for postpartum moms.

Now…

Bodybuilders fully expect to be hit around the ears with muscle-strengthening products and information. Your story and hook will need to be extraordinarily NEW and “sexy” for that POP take any notice of your (“yet another distraction fighting for attention”) message.

On the other hand: nobody is talking to new moms about this, even though she has a problem which needs solving.

In other words: when you prep your message/hook/angle to talk to postpartum moms instead of the bodybuilders, you pretty much eliminate all direct competition. You level the playing field from day-one, BECAUSE THERE IS NO PLAYING FIELD. Think of this as a version of a Blue Ocean Shift.

You created the market because you spotted the opportunity. You serve an unserved audience that is begging to be served. Compare that to the (expensive) trip you were about to take into the competitive shark-infested waters of bodybuilders.

Don’t get me wrong here, new moms are being hammered with offers because of their new baby, but your offer is completely different. It’s for her.

It’s NEW and, … they want (and need) the result — badly!

New moms understand (at a fundamental level) what the words “bodybuilding” mean. Muscles and big dudes with rock hard abs (the exact thing she lacks).

By narrowing your focus and audience — going tiny — you get to tell a different story. A unique story that offers depth and nuance; a story that she wants to tell herself.

You use all the stuff you learned from the bodybuilding world, and create something that NOW will help HER to get rid of an emotionally painful problem.

If mom’s problem doesn’t get addressed, she will be burdened with a low self-image, often feeling shame and self-doubt, for the rest of her life. No woman wants that or deserves that.

By not going for the obvious choice, you’ve made it so much easier for yourself to get a shot at succeeding right from the get-go.

Coming from a completely different angle (tiny positioning), you present a specific solution (minimum lovable product) to a tiny but desperate POP (smallest viable audience), which will instantly get noticed (attention in a distracted world), and will resonate on a deep emotional level (empathy-led marketing).

You can apply this (creative) thinking to any market.