There’s a saying in filmmaking: let your film do what ONLY your film can do.
The idea is that your story has something unique to share, and anything that distracts from that—like chasing trends—will ultimately create art that falls short of its potential. The same principle applies to marketing: you and your team need to sell what ONLY your team can sell because anything else is a distraction.
Émile Durkheim, one of the founding fathers of modern sociology, introduced the concept of “collective effervescence”—moments in culture when everyone seems to be talking about the same thing. While it’s more challenging in modern marketing due to the sheer number of mediums where consumers spend their time, it can and does still happen. But it can’t happen if you’re not leaning into what makes your brand special
Imagine if Apple suddenly announced they were opening hamburger stands instead of launching a new iPhone.
The same leadership, designers, and infrastructure would now be “flipping burgers.” They’d likely be terrible at it initially. One of the most successful companies on Earth would quickly become the worst hamburger stand on the planet. Of course, what makes Apple unique is that they wouldn’t stay bad for long—they’d adapt and thrive. But most of us aren’t Apple, and we get distracted by much subtler things, often underestimating the total cost of that distraction.
Take the brand Stanley, for example.
In November 2023, the car fire incident where a Stanley Tumbler survived intact with ice still inside became a pivotal moment for the brand. The marketing team capitalized on this by first ensuring the customer’s well-being (even getting them a new car) and then building momentum with custom colors, collaborations, product placements, and influencer partnerships.
Interestingly, just four years earlier, Stanley had removed the Quencher Tumbler from their website due to poor performance. It was the women behind the Buy Guide who created a cultural moment for Stanley by purchasing and quickly selling out 10,000 Quenchers. This while the brand was going through a leadership change facilitated the building of a team that could respond effectively to viral moments, like the car fire.
Stanley’s success—growing from $70 million to over $750 million in revenue over four years—stems from understanding their audience and why people want their products. They’re not the only cup in the market, but they’ve mastered selling what only they can sell.
Consider this scenario:
Your company sells insurance, and 18% of your new business comes from Facebook. One day, a team member bursts into a meeting, exclaiming that your competitor had a TikTok video “blow up” overnight, garnering 23 million views. The entire team quickly pivots to chase that viral moment. However, your team isn’t built for such nimble responses, and resources are spent on social media content without a clear strategy.
At the end of the month, you review the data only to find that not only did your attempt at a viral TikTok moment fail to generate any revenue, but your Facebook-driven business has also dropped to 13%—a 5% loss in less than a month.
The lesson? Sell what only your team can sell.
Is your team excellent at search optimization, data analysis to discover new audiences, content creation, or product branding? Focus on those strengths. This doesn’t mean you can’t explore other tactics, but you might need outside help to do them effectively.
The entertainment industry provides more examples. The recent buzz around “Deadpool and Wolverine” succeeded because the brand knew exactly what it was selling and made each activation feel like it served the fans rather than just promoting the movie. Similarly, the “Beetlejuice” sequel has generated excitement through thoughtful brand partnerships. Learning from the “Barbie” movie’s 100+ partnerships, “Beetlejuice” featured just 35 brand collaborations but achieved more than double the promotional value. Each brand’s ad takes place within the “Beetlejuice” world, creating a seamless part of the collective effervescence rather than feeling like a forced addition.
In today’s fast-paced marketing landscape, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of trends, viral moments, and competitor actions. But as we’ve seen through examples like Stanley, Deadpool, and Beetlejuice, true marketing success isn’t about being everywhere or doing everything. It’s about knowing who you are, what you excel at, and how to leverage those strengths to create meaningful connections with your audience.
The phrase “What only you can do” isn’t just a catchy title—it’s a powerful guiding principle. It challenges you to dig deep, identify your unique value proposition, and build your strategy around it. This approach doesn’t mean ignoring new platforms or opportunities. Rather, it means evaluating them through the lens of your brand’s core strengths and values.
As you move forward, ask yourself:
What does my brand or product offer that no one else can? How can I amplify this unique aspect in ways that resonate with my audience? By focusing on these questions, you’ll not only differentiate yourself in a crowded market but also build a more sustainable, authentic, and ultimately successful marketing strategy.
Remember, in a world where everyone is trying to be everything to everyone, the real power lies in being distinctly, unapologetically you. That’s what only you can do—and it’s what will set you apart in the long run.
Sources:
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/23/how-a-40-ounce-cup-turned-stanley-into-a-750-million-a-year-business.html
https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/movie-marketing-what-beetlejuice-beetlejuice-learned-barbie/2578706
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1sQunWuQYGfcu0DlvbZ43U
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/how-the-stanley-cup-went-viral
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306345/
https://iep.utm.edu/emile-durkheim/
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