Are You Clorox Or Are You Bleach?

The other day, I gave a story about how concentration seemed to transport me forward in time and how it can make time and events around you disappear. (Read it here..)

And there is another lesson that was learned in that grocery trip that my wife just observed while in the store.

Clorox Vs Bleach

While in the store, looking to pick up a bottle of bleach (yes, take that! you coronavirus..) she came across an interesting, but not entirely surprising finding:  Completely empty shelves where the Clorox bleach was, while the "off-brand" bleach was completely full.

Hmmm... Same stuff.  Obviously different demand. 

You can't say it was the price, because the off-brand was cheaper. It wasn't because one is better than the other.  There isn't ANY reason that one is sold out while the other isn't ... except ... brand recognition.

Clorox isn't alone

There are other brands that have become household names.  In this case, you are not buying sodium hypochlorite, and you are not buying bleach, you are buying Clorox.  Facial tissue? Nope...Kleenex.  Smartphone?  Nope again ... iPhone.  Acetaminophen?  Nope ...Tylenol.

What are you? Your business?

If you are looking to start, build, or expand your business, having a brand that is recognizable is a huge advantage.  When you do that, your name becomes synonymous with the product.  When people ask for that product or service and ask for it by your name, then you are in a great position. 

How  To Create A Brand That Redefines The Product...

This topic is far too large for just a blog post, but we can get started with a couple of simple points.  First is to be aware of creating that brand name.  Don't be generic.  Create a name that is unique for your services and use it consistently.  Create a name that is new, so there isn't any pre-existing definition for the word and gives you the ability to create its definition. Creating a new word can be hard, but it can pay off in a huge way. Use the name as a replacement name for the underlying product. The word you create makes communication far easier once that definition is established. Once it's established it creates its own category.  By the way,  it doesn't need to be a physical product. Google (initially a non-sense word) has become both a noun AND a verb.  Pretty powerful.  

So how does this work?  Simple ...

• You blow your nose in a Kleenex (not a facial tissue)
• You call someone on your iPhone (not on a smartphone or cell phone)
• You Google a definition (not look it up online)
• You Uber home, (not take a taxi)
• You Xerox a document (not photocopy)

When you use your word as a substitute for the product and others start to use the word in the same way, then you have achieved organic (some call guerilla) marketing. Super powerful.

Now It's Your Turn...

How can you define your product or service in a way that can have a new, unique label?

How will you start to use that label in your promotion?

How will you make your product or service the "name" that people use to describe it?

Are you "Clorox"? Or are you "bleach"?

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Note: All of the brand names and images used in this article are the property of the respective companies.