Excel in the Areas Nobody Else Finds Interesting
Welcome to the Why to Wow newsletter which is all about inspiring the hearts and minds of people worldwide with the Power of Differentiation. In the Why to Wow newsletter, I share my experiences over the last 40+ years helping leaders differentiate their brands and products. I hope it will inspire you to discover and share your own brand’s uniqueness with the world.
Who grows up wanting to produce copper rod? Who fantasizes about designing and building components for RVs and boats? Few have ever yearned to build railroad cars or stainless steel tank trailers. Yet, many of us who were fortunate to be introduced to these pursuits have fallen in love with them.
In our Difference Talks podcast with Matt Labov (a distant cousin), he described his “niche” client, which I’ll share (it’s brilliant) after I introduce him. He is a Hollywood public relations executive who has represented some of the elite stars of our generation, including Dave Chappelle, Seth Rogen, Sacha Baron Cohen, Bill Hader, and Will Ferrell. Can you guess what they all have in common that Matt recognized? If your answer is comedians, you are half right. But the story goes deeper than that.
Matt worked for traditional actors and actresses when he first started in the business. When he met Dave Chappelle, it became clear that he was drawn to solo performers—they weren’t members of a cast that was subject to a show cancellation. These daring soloists walked the tightrope, either succeeding or failing on their own. Matt then refined his focus even further. Here is the type of client he works with:
Multi-hyphenates
A multi-hyphenate is not “merely” a comedian, but, for example, someone like Will Ferrell, a comedian-actor-writer-producer-director. These are a special breed of individuals who are likely not a typical Hollywood press agent’s cup of tea, as they represent more complexity. However, they also provide more opportunities.
Matt has forged his career serving unique (maybe even bizarre) individuals and embracing their vast potential. He is someone who understands and appreciates his clients’ creativity and is ready to tackle their dreams.
Difference-maker #1: The more unique the niche, the more powerful the differentiator.
Yes, Matt is a PR professional, but he discovered the beauty and power in talented people with a wide range of skills and ambitions. They needed someone to help harness their abilities.
Difference-maker #2: Embrace having a focus that appears to be demanding or complicated.
I love that my firm focuses on one word: differentiation. Our competitors find it strange and don’t quite understand it, just as they don’t comprehend how we produce both brand marketing and training for clients (like Matt’s multi-hyphenate, a marketing-training company doesn’t seem natural or easy to most agencies). Matt identified a unique category of clientele that he can serve better than anyone else. He owns that category; he’s the multi-hyphenate publicist.
Discover your niche, your version of a multi-hyphenate client. Challenge yourself. Maybe your ideal client has a certain mindset or psychographic, or perhaps they cater to a specific customer base that few understand. The rarer and more unique your niche, the more powerful your differentiation.
Have you ever watched Anchorman, Borat, or The Interview? If so, tune into our podcast episode with Matt LaBov and hear the behind-the-scenes stories of their making. Matt is a veteran Hollywood publicist who’s worked with the industry’s finest actors, including Steve Carell, Judd Apatow, and Jack Black. He shared great stories and unique insights on adapting and succeeding in the ever-changing landscape of the entertainment industry.