SUMMARY OF DIFFERENTIATE OR DIE: SURVIVAL IN OUR ERA OF KILLER

COMPETITION

Date of Submission: July 15, 2020

In the first chapter of the book ‘The Tyranny of Choice’ author stated that Companies must
address differentiation in three key ways: If you ignore your uniqueness and try to be
everything for everybody, you quickly undermine what makes you different. Then if you
ignore changes in the market, your difference can become less important. Lastly, if you stay
in the shadow of your larger a competitors and never establish your Differentness, you will
always be weak.
Then the author emphasize of creating Unique Selling Proposition popularly known as USPs.
Each Ads must make a proposition to the customer. Not just words, not just product "Buy this
product, and you will get this specific benefit". The proposition must be one that the
competition either cannot or does not offer. The proposition must be so strong that it can
move the mass millions.
Psychologists have come up with 4 four functions that help people make buying decisions
Differentiating with "Intuitive." This group a uses intuition to concentrate on possibilities,
avoiding details in favor of a "big picture" view. Differentiating with "Thinkers." This group
is w analytical, precise and logical. Differentiating with "Feelers." This group dispenses with
intellectual analysis in favor of following their own preferences, an ideal group for third-party
endorsements from experts who look and sound real. Differentiating with "Sensors." This
group sees things as they are and has a great respect for facts, an enormous capacity for detail
and a knack for putting things into context. Author stated that this four cannot become the
thing for differentiation: Quality and Customer Orientation, Creativity, Price and Breadth of
Line. According to the book the four steps of differentiation are make sense in context, find
the differentiating idea, have credentials and communicate your difference. The book
suggested eight successful differentiation strategies which are: Be First, Maintain Attribute
Ownership, Be a Leader, Have a History, Specialize in Your Market, Be the Preferred
Provider, Make Your Products in a Special Way and Be Hot. Lastly the book stated Five
Rules for the Road for being different in different places which are the current idea may be
the wrong idea, Attributes can change when you cross borders, market leadership may not
translate, heritage may not be respected, and specialty may get blurred.