Pick a fight

If you think a competitor sucks, say so. When you do that, you'll find that others

who agree with you will rally to your side. Being the anti-______ is a great way

to differentiate yourself and attract followers.

For example, Dunkin' Donuts likes to position itself as the anti-Starbucks. Its

ads mock Starbucks for using "Fritalian" terms instead of small, medium, and

large. Another Dunkin' campaign is centered on a taste test in which it beat

Starbucks. There's even a site called DunkinBeatStarbucks.com where visitors

can send e-cards with statements like "Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks."

Audi is another example. It's been taking on the old guard of car

manufacturers. It puts "old luxury" brands like Rolls-Royce and Mercedes "on

notice" in ads touting Audi as the fresh luxury alternative. Audi takes on Lexus's

automatic parking systems with ads that say Audi drivers know how to park their

own cars. Another ad gives a side-by-side comparison of BMW and Audi

owners: The BMW owner uses the rearview mirror to adjust his hair while the

Audi driver uses the mirror to see what's behind him.

Apple jabs at Microsoft with ads that compare Mac and PC owners, and 7UP

bills itself as the Uncola. Under Armour positions itself as Nike for a new

generation.

All these examples show the power and direction you can gain by having a

target in your sights. Who do you want to take a shot at?

You can even pit yourself as the opponent of an entire industry. Dyson's

Airblade starts with the premise that the hand-dryer industry is a failure and then

sells itself as faster and more hygienic than the others. I Can't Believe It's Not

Butter puts its enemy right there in its product name.

Having an enemy gives you a great story to tell customers, too. Taking a stand

always stands out. People get stoked by conflict. They take sides. Passions are

ignited. And that's a good way to get people to take notice.