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28.01.2010 Experience, InnovationComments

The Good, The Bad, And The Boring

If you can’t see the above video, click here.

Compelling is not synonymous with what is good. My favourite book, the Bible, records some pretty bad stuff. Bad, but compelling. In business we want to create good experiences. Actually, scratch that -- we want to create great experiences. But the reality is that in life, it is often the most distressing bad experiences that compel you the most.

What you don’t want is boring. Boring is lost and forgotten, wasted to the pages of FAIL and such stuff.

Good and bad are both compelling. Tony Robbins, the life-transformation guru, wrote in Unlimited Power that people either move towards pleasure, or away from pain. One of Guy Kawasaki’s points in the video follows a similar though: polarize people. In other words, compel people to hate your product, or love it.

Good and bad -- just to philosophise the debate -- are generally subjective. Apple’s iPad announcement for many is life-changingly good, but others will find holes with, despise it, and not support it at all.

Watching this video from Guy (a personal favourite of mine), one gets very inspired to get on the edge of innovation. It’s the same feeling you get when reading Seth Godin’s Purple Cow (affiliate). Cue inspirational one liners: Being safe is being risky. The middle is crowded. Be different. Be purple. Do something remarkable.

Here’s the rub: it’s easy to say ‘be good and bad but not boring’, and it’s easy to do it when you have a flexible organisations with brands that clearly live in these places of polarisation (everything I do lives there, so I know it well.) But many companies can’t do it. Their mindsets don’t permit it, their guts don’t permit it, and perhaps their companies just don’t need it.

I don’t know. So, let me hear from you. Here’s some questions to spark some discussion:

  1. Is poliarisation (being good and bad) a sustainable, long term strategy?
  2. Do businesses need to innovate remarkable products? Is just delivering a good service remarkable?
  3. Is remarkable just hype? Does boring sell?

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Some Related Thoughts

  • jonathanalder
    Hi Scott

    Another interesting post! I think it really depends on what sector you're in. If you're in a niche sector, polarisation is what you need. You have to push boundaries, because you have to get noticed. Sometimes you might fail, but that's the only way to learn. Not every Apple product has been a success, but when they get it right they change the world (or at the very least the sector/market they were targeting - personal computing, MP3 players, mobile phones...).

    But if you're target market is the mainstream - say a supermarket - you don't want polarisation. You want as many people as possible to buy from you. You may differentiate yourself on price (are you Waitrose or Aldi?), but that's different. A different kind of positioning.

    I think you can make polarisation a sustainable strategy, but you have to recognise that as your strategy, and build a business model, and team, that can support that strategy. It maybe harder work, but maybe the rewards are bigger - both financially and in terms of personal satisfaction.

    One thing I think it is important to differentiate between is polarisation and innovation. Innovation is essential to become a leader in your sector, but is not as extreme as polarisation. Many supermarkets have introduced innovation to their sector (out-of-town-shopping, home delivery etc.), but they haven't polarised their audience.

    It's a really interesting topic - and an important one for ambitious businesses to consider. I questioned the value of sitting in the 'middle' in a blog post back in September: http://workandplayblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/wha.... Is 2010 the time to be taking the middle ground? I don't think so. Is it time to innovate? Yes. Is it time to polarise? Maybe - I think it depends who you are.
  • Good points - and I agree about niche v mass market.

    What I especially like is your point on innovation. I agree - you can innovate without polarising (well, without polarising everyone)
  • "perhaps their companies just don’t need it."

    In real terms... I think this probably should read

    "perhaps their companies just don’t think they need it."

    Sometimes delivering good service is remarkable because you are the only one doing it in a sector where bad service is taken as read.

    Does Boring sell? Yes but I don't think it "drives", it sells when there is no alternative or the alternative is not exposed enough. Innovation drives forward and drives sales (see Apple), boring allows sales but won't sustain them once people see the true innovation.
  • "Sometimes delivering good service is remarkable because you are the only one doing it in a sector where bad service is taken as read."

    Yeah. I think for many companies and organisations, being remarkable can come very easily through delivering outstanding service - and making that part of the product and part of what you sell. I like to call this an 'experience' :-)
  • Some good advice from the worlds riches man ever (Solomon) rather similar to the video point 11 !!

    "Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips." 922 BC

    Guy Kawaski - "listen to a loser that makes you a loser" 2009 AD

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCpViu8kY3o

    my response on the power of brand focus is on my blog at http://www.tee-dp.com/2010/01/think-volvo/
  • Lol - very nice update of an old classic quote :-)
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