lifeoutside the lines

Sorry ladies, this is a guys only post.

Conventional wisdom advocates the importance of having a clear vision and mission when it comes to building your personal empire. There’s no question that it’s essential to know what you stand for in the world.

What is rarely discussed is the importance of getting clear on who you’re enemy is.

By definition, you can’t be ‘for’ something unless you’re ‘against’ something too.

Perhaps we prefer to project an air of positivity and would rather not run the risk of ‘rocking the boat’, offending others and (heaven forbid) having them think badly of us.

But that’s just the point.

If you’re doing something worthwhile in the world, without question there are going to be some people who think your a complete muppet. It’s par for the course.

Don’t the things we stand against define us just as much as the things we stand for?

We now live in an ultra competitive, highly niched marketplace with a dizzying number of new marcom channels all broadcasting ‘stuff’ vying for the increasingly rarified attention of the fickle consumer. (me).

Those who can cut through the clutter by defining and differentiating themselves from the multitude clearly have an advantage.

The campaign behind Nestle’s ‘Yorkie’ bar is, I believe, a perfect example of how promoting what you are against can be far more effective that trying to promote what you are for. And it’s funny as hell. (Unless you’re a militant feminist)

The actual Yorkie bar was released in the 70′s and was aimed at men. It was chunkier, manlier, and the original ads portrayed truck drivers, construction workers and other manly type men doing manly type stuff. The Yorkie had become an institution throughout Britain’s working class, but sales were stagnating as the original campaigns began to loose relevance.

In 2001, they made their campaigns more explicit.
It doesn’t come in pink.
It’s king sized, not queen sized.
It should never be fed to birds because…

“It’s NOT for girls”.

I love it.

Watch this:

They backed up the campaign with simultaneous free sample giveaways in major cities around the country, with attractive female models offering samples of the chocolate to men, and to men only

Better than hilarious it sparked major controversy. Complaints rolled in. Liverpool city council announced a ban. Media picked up the story and Nestle redoubled their efforts. Copycat youtubers also sprung up and started making their own spoofs of the ‘men only’ Yorkie commercials.

Sales went through the roof.

To own (dominate) their niche as the ‘man’s chocolate bar’, appealing to men was no longer enough. They needed to publicly declare a (tongue and cheek) war against women.

What are you against, and how can you use it to rally the troops?

Rock on.