Why You Don't Want to Be the Amazon of Anything

An old boss of mine (well, he wasn’t that old), used to say that if you tried to be “the x of y,” you wouldn’t win. For instance, if you want to be “the Amazon of travel” or “the Apple of the auto industry” or “the Google of education” (and, yes, those are all AGFAM players), you’re putting yourself behind the eight ball . This is very much in line with Elon Musk’s thoughts about reasoning from first principles for innovation.

Why is this so?

Here’s why:

• It depends on what everyone knows, without considering whether “what everyone knows” is wrong. Conventional wisdom is not always wise. When people say, “why didn’t I think of that,” it’s usually because they didn’t take the time to do so. Instead, think about what your customers actually need, then explore ways to serve that need.
• It fails to differentiate you. Amazon isn’t trying to be anything other than the e-commerce platform. Apple isn’t trying to be anything other than the manufacturer of the best consumer devices. Google isn’t trying to be anything other than the advertising platform of choice. Don’t be the “something of something.” Be the leader.
• There already is an “X”. If you think about it, the only thing that prevents Amazon from being “the Amazon of travel,” Apple from being “the Apple of automobiles,” or Google from being “the Google of education” is their (current) lack of attention to that market. They’re already accomplished the hard part: they are the Amazon/Apple/Google of their chosen industries. Shifting to a new market is, usually, the easy bit.

Of course, anyone familiar with Michael Treacy’s fantastic “Discipline of Market Leaders” (also something that old boss turned me on to) knows three generic strategies exist for dominating your industry:

• Product leadership. Think Apple or BMW or Starbucks.
• Operational excellence. Often associated with “low-cost” leaders, think of folks like Amazon, Walmart, or Southwest Airlines.
• Customer intimacy. Think Google (thus, the good ad platform), Four Seasons, or Zappos.

The point here is that you don’t have to focus solely on “the best product” to be the you of your market. You just have to focus on being the best you your business can be.

Interested in learning more about the future of marketing and commerce in a multiscreen world? Register to receive a special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” While it’s targeted specifically at hotel and resort marketers, the lessons apply to just about any business. You can get your free copy of the report here.

And, if all that’s not enough, you might also enjoy some of our past coverage of the social, local, mobile strategy and what it means for your business, including:

• Today and Tomorrow: Mobile and the Changing Customer Journey
• What’s the Future of E-commerce? Look to the Past to Find Out
• How to Get In Your Customers’ Pants… Pocket
• Kiss Your Current Conversion Rate Goodbye (Travel Tuesday)
• What Watson, Xbox, and Google Are Telling You Right Now (Travel Tuesday)
• Thinks Out Loud Episode 28: Say “Hi” to Conversational Search