Nothing is Original

Welcome! Step right on in. Grab your lip smackers and gel pens, and snap on your dope new cover on your Nokia 3310. We're going back in time.

Von Dutch. This brand triggers flashbacks to the early to mid-2000s. Pop stars were at their peak. Jeans were at their lowest, desperately hanging onto hips. And trucker hats were everywhere.

While I was spending my after school hours making a buck at the grocery store, saving money for gas and CDs, popular kids everywhere were trying to stay popular.

Last week I took a step back in time and spent hours binging some docuseries. First, "The Curse of Von Dutch," then "Call Me Miss Cleo." On top of that, I've been watching the "Welcome to Chippendales" show. I'm living for these 90-00s flashbacks.

The wild story of the Von Dutch brand (you gotta watch the series) was sparked from the art of Kenny Howard, aka Von Dutch. He was not associated with the clothing company. He was an artist. A maker. A rebel. Also, unbeknownst to the brand, a racist, which would later haunt the fashion brand and be part of its downfall.

In one of his infamous quotes, he says, "Nothing is original."

This stuck with me. A multi-million dollar brand was built off of the idea that nothing is original. There are quotes from David Bowie, Picasso, and Jim Jarmusch leading to the same conclusion.

So, is nothing truly original? And does it even matter?

Nothing is Original

Standing out from the crowd is what builds huge brands. And at first glance, it may seem the only way to do that is to be original, the first and best.

• Call Miss Cleo because she has the answers that only a psychic could see.

• Buy Von Dutch because every celebrity cocked that hat on their head.

• Go to Chippendales because it's not just a strip joint; it's a show.

Ends up that if you called Miss Cleo, you got one of the thousands of network psychics who you talked to instead. Von Dutch hats were just as cheap as the rest. And Chippendales was, in the end, just people taking off their clothes while others screamed and stuffed dollar bills into their undergarments.

Not original.

Here's the truth: Nothing is original. But consumers still need someone to help them solve their problems.

Setting Your Brand Apart

In branding, we have differentiators: attributes that set our brand apart from everyone else in the industry. These are your value propositions. Define them, and then you market the crap out of it to convince the right person that you are for them and not the other guys.

And with the right value props, each of our throwback brands solves a problem their customers have.

• Miss Cleo's callers went from feeling lost and hopeless to heard and understood.

• Von Dutch customers went from outcasts to feeling like they belonged to something bigger.

• Chippendales made women feel free and liberated instead of tied to their homes.

All of these brands solved a problem customers were having, but it wasn't a surface problem. People weren't looking for new ways to keep the sun out of their eyes. Hats are easy to find. To find a hat that made you feel as untouchable as Paris Hilton is different. Brands like Von Dutch made their customers feel something.

You stand out by solving customers' problems. Making their life easier.

Solving Problems > Originality

To get people to remember you, you need to be solving a problem they have and then show them how you solve it (and solve it better than anyone else).

1. The first step is to identify the problems your customers encounter. There are three categories:

• External - The surface issues

• Internal - The deeper, personal fears and frustrations

• Philosophical - The "just plain wrong" issues

And if you can solve an internal problem by making them feel something about your brand, you'll hook them. People buy solutions to their internal problems.

Why do you choose your favorite grocery store? Maybe because it makes you feel at ease, they will have fresh produce and healthy options.

Why do companies hire recruiters? Because they want to feel less burdened by wasting so much time in the hiring process.

Why do people buy a shed? Perhaps they feel unsafe having your tools and bikes outside. Storage makes them feel safe.

Don't focus on originality. Focus on solving your customers' internal problems.

2. Check out your competitors. Are they only solving external problems? How can you highlight what you do by solving an internal vs. an external problem?

3. Make your lists of value props. At first, I like to try them out in different scenarios and see what sticks.

Get started by asking these questions:

• What do you help them with?

• What does it feel like to use your product or service?

• How does your product work?

Work this into all of your marketing material. That's websites, emails, social posts, and all communication.

💡 If you are sick of hearing it, it means that someone is just hearing it for the first time.

Revisiting your marketing messaging every 6-months to a year is a great way to stay on top of what is happening and make adjustments as needed. We know that today's customers change, the market moves quickly, and competitors are finding (and stealing) new great ideas.

Don't be original. Be a problem solver.

Three things about three things I’m reading:

Spend it! by Cinders McLeod 💰 Teaches kids about money. Surprise find from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. We need the rest of the series!

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid 💔 First line is a twist. Love the way she builds characters. Page turner.

Everything I can find from Austin L Church 📝 Expert at freelancing. Tons of tips on how to get started (on the right foot). Authentic.

This is my week of refocusing. I'm working on making sustainable and manageable plans.

I hope you are finding focus in your week, too.

Bye, for now, Evergreen crew.

Lyndee