The Amazing Benefits of Being Weird
Glee celebrates it. Austin wants to stay that way. Apple embraces it. But what can marketers learn from being different or even a little weird?
In this brief TED talk, Derek Sivers explores how weird can just be the existence of the opposite of what you’re expecting, given your past experience and circumstance.
I left this talk wanting more, more, MORE!
There are in fact several lessons to be learned from being outside the mainstream, and being willing to embrace the weirdness within and without you.
- There is Purpose. There is a fearlessness in being exactly who you are when there seems to be no one else even remotely similar. There’s a reason why ‘blue oceans’ exist, and it has to do with the pack mentality that most business unfortunately operates under. Where most see a ‘blank space’ as no opportunity, some see no competition. But knowing that a specific uncharted territory is your destiny requires a deep-rooted knowledge and belief in what your purpose is, and a comittment to seeing that purpose through. It’s a kind of belief in yourself, your co-workers and your product/service that can guide all that you do - your North Star. Because Weird knows where it’s going. Weird doesn’t look over its shoulder. Weird looks straight ahead.
- There is Differentiation. Nothing sets you apart like a viewpoint or look or functionality that shows that you have a completely different approach to solving a problem. This is an important place where retro parts ways with weird - because a retro feel is also ‘against the grain’, but it tends to stay in line with pre-established aesthetics, which can allow lots of different brands to try to tap into its energy. But Weird can never be mistaken for another Brand. It makes its own sauce, and always has distinctive flavor. Copycats have no power over Weird.
- There is Freshness. A viewpoint that is not apparent to everyone at first glance that can break through established patterns. You may have to come at a problem or customer or shopper situation from an angle that you haven’t thought of before. You may even have to dismiss some established beliefs about what types of solutions may exist. In the end, you may need to explain a bit just why you chose to make some decisions that you did. And those decisions may make the final product or experience something that makes you stop and think, because it’s not using the same old same old shorthand for looking at the world that everyone else is using. And that’s a good thing for Weird. Because Weird wants you to listen - to try to understand. Weird wants to bring you along for its strange ride and come to embrace it. Because Weird is not following a trend - it’s creating one. Do you want to join?
- There is Vision. In order to showcase your weirdness, you must convince others that you have the right idea and perspective. And this persuasion only comes with a vision of the world or market that you can share with others in a way that they can come to embrace. This is where it gets tricky for most creatives and marketers, as they think all they need is a bizarre approach or tagline, but they neglect to discover and preach the strange logic that makes your weird approach the right one. Weird isn’t doing anything the wrong way. It’s doing it the right way in a wrong world.
What weirdness can you bring to bear to change your perspective on your market, product, service or customer experience?
I’m thinking of having a Weird Summit. Anybody interested in speaking at it?
