Stan Phelps is a Forbes Contributor, TEDx Speaker, IBM Futurist, best-selling author, and AMA Lincoln’s August 2024 Signature Speaker. A masterful storyteller who quickly connects with his audience, Stan has delivered keynotes and workshops for Fortune 100 brands, including IBM, Target, ExxonMobil, Cardinal Health and more. If you missed our Signature Speaker event with Stan, keep reading to discover his top strategies to stand out in a crowd.
The world conspires to tell us that we need to be perfect and hide or fix our flaws, but that is not true. Individuals and businesses should flaunt their flaws and unique traits instead of using ‘normal’ as a benchmark. The characteristics that make you stand out, your flaws, are what make you awesome. Let’s breakdown Stan’s F.L.A.W.S.O.M.E framework for achieving competitive separation:
1. Flaunting
If you have something that is core to what makes you unique, don’t apologize for it, flaunt it.
2. Lopsiding
Embrace being unbalanced, imperfect, and odd. Amplify a few of your brand’s unique traits, exaggerating and supersizing them.
“True differentiation is rarely a function of well-roundedness; it is typically a function of lopsidedness.” – Harvard Business School Professor Youngme Moon.
3. Antagonizing
Decide who your target market is, then parade your brand front and center to the opposing audience.
4. Withholding
Challenge yourself to hold back on certain marketing trends. By doing less you can stand out instead of falling into the sea of sameness.
Example: REI’s #OptOutside campaign on Black Friday was initially conceived as a stand against the rampant consumerism of the day, the campaign was designed to encourage everyone—both REI customers and employees—to step away from shopping and instead, spend time enjoying the outdoors.
5. Swerving
Small steps you can take to embrace what makes you different, or doing less of what makes you blend in with the crowd.
6. Opposing
When everyone is going in the same direction, switch it up, and go in the opposite direction.
7. Micro-Weirding
This can be just little small touches, it can be little things that you do. Enhance the customer experience with small touches that communicate your unique differences.
Example: Instead of offering a complimentary snack bar, the Magic Castle Hotel installed a phone by the pool, allowing guests to order popsicles on demand. The Magic Castle has discovered that to truly delight customers, it’s not necessary to obsess over every detail. Guests will overlook small swimming pools and modest room decor if a few moments during their stay are truly magical.
8. Exposing
Own the negatives, take what people say about you, and turn it around.
Example: The tagline “Nebraska. Honestly, it’s not for everyone.” was created by the Nebraska Tourism Council and has since led to record-breaking tourism revenue. Initially met with skepticism, the unconventional honesty of the slogan resonated with travelers, attracting those who appreciate the state’s unique charm and rugged beauty.
It’s not enough to tell people you’re different. If you’re not doing stuff to give people a reason to talk about you, you’re not going to stand out in the sea of sameness. Read Stan Phelps’ book, Pink Goldfish, to learn more on the F.L.A.W.S.O.M.E. framework along with additional real life examples of how brands embracing their uniqueness paid off.
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