Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Videos About Advertise Blog Network Contact
   

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
Have A Suggestion?

Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell

Branding: The Competitive Edge in a “Flattening World”



Branding: The Competitive Edge in a “Flattening World”
   


With global connectivity a part of everyday life, and online collaboration taking hold, even the smallest company or individual can compete for business virtually anywhere in the world. And we will continue to see global competitors delivering high-quality, low-cost products to our front door, and we will see more services being sent offshore.

In his article titled “Globalization and the Death of the Mid-sized Company,” Leamon A. Crooms III cites the “Cold Hard Facts”:

Cold Hard Fact #1 - Global competitors play by different rules set in their own geographical regions. So not only do many of them have lower labor costs, but they also have fewer government controls, giving them an additional cost advantage.

Cold Hard Fact #2 – In the future you will have less time to react to your competitors. Geographic distribution makes it harder to keep your eye on the global competitor. If they are test marketing a new product, then you may never know until it shows up in your back yard.

Cold Hard Fact #3 – They know more about you than you know about them. Generally, American mid- size businesses are far less familiar with international markets and cultures than international mid-size companies are with the US.

Cold Hard Fact #4 – Global competition will turn up the heat domestically. As domestic companies in the mid-market adapt to global competitors the domestic companies will become increasingly more competitive in their local markets.

So what do you do to protect your turf, to keep your product line from becoming commoditized.

My experience has been that companies simply have to change their value propositions. They have to redefine what they stand for and how they deliver unique value. In short, they have to reinvent their brands. Even single practitioners stand to win big or lose big, depending on whether they embrace or turn their backs on the “flattening” of our world. By thinking globally about your business and about your brand you can do more than survive globalization. You can thrive in it.

Here’s what’s been working for our clients.
Stand for one thing.
Stand for one thing, make it unique, make it simple, and you make it easier not only for regional prospects to find you, but global ones as well. If you’re struggling to define your unique value on a regional, national or industry-specific basis, how can you possibly do so globally?

Shift from order-taker to solutions provider.
Small and mid-sized companies can no longer sit back and expect the phone to ring with the next order. Build your brand around solutions, taking a proactive stance. Don’t wait for the market to drive you. Effectively competing on the global stage means you drive the market.

Expand your view to one that is global.
When you embrace globalization, you quickly realize that it’s less of a threat and more of an opportunity. Think of your business brand not in terms of what the region or industry might think of you, but what you want the WORLD to think of you. Start looking at overseas competition. See what they’re doing from a marketing standpoint. Learn and watch them, because they are certainly watching you.

Competition is competition.
It doesn’t matter if it’s down the street or on another continent. Size up your overseas competition in the same manner you would size up your domestic competition. Remember, don’t just look at what they’re doing wrong. Look at what they’re doing right. Only then can you put your brand in a position to best them.

Remember, with challenge and adversity comes opportunity. Embrace globalization instead of hiding or dismissing it, and you may do more than flourish. You may take a leadership position in this new competitive environment.


Branding: The Competitive Edge in a “Flattening World” - To learn more about this author, visit Ed Delia's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends
[Get Copyright Permissions] E-Mail | Print | More  


Related Articles Related Articles
How to Use Personal Branding for a Competitive Edge
  Personal branding is something that has been done by a number of well known people. Some of the most well known among them are Oprah Winfrey and Donald Trump. Personal branding is something that will give you a comp...
On the Cutting Edge of Time - Part 1
  Where would we be without Time? And where would Time be without us?
Personal Branding Tip
  Personal Branding Tip: We have moved from a selling world to a buying world. People want to do their homework and then make a decision. That’s where branding comes in. Branding is More Important than Sales. Sales is...
The definition of branding
  One of my readers pointed out that they really appreciated the definition of marketing that I use throughout Duct Tape Marketing. Marketing is getting someone who has a need to know, like and trust you. Most small b...
The Need For Speed In The Age Of e.
  The advantages of moving fast and being first have never been more apparent. Our world is moving at the speed of e. Information is shared instantaneously and globally. Markets are affected by minor shifts in supply ...

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
Name for website Name for website
Re: Name for website Re: Name for website
Re: Mompreneur Magazine - good read Re: Mompreneur Magazine - good read
Come on Red Sox! Don't let me down! Come on Red Sox! Don't let me down!
Mompreneur Magazine - good read Mompreneur Magazine - good read
New Small Business Topic New Small Business Topic
Re: Get a Jingle! Re: Get a Jingle!
Re: Quickest Return on Investment Re: Quickest Return on Investment

 
About the Author


Ed Delia
(Visit Ed's Website)
Ed Delia grew up in the dynamic world of marketing, and was named president of Delia Associates in 1998, assuming full control of the company his father founded in 1964. Under Ed’s direction, Delia Associates has directly contributed to the growth of a variety of clients. Ed is committed to the welfare of the local business community and donates a significant portion of his energies to the economic development of the region. He was a board member of the Hunterdon County YMCA, and acting PR/Marketing Committee Chair. He is also active with the Hunterdon County Polytech Academy. Ed is president of the New Jersey Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). He was a founding member of Hunterdon Young Professionals & Executives (HYPE) in addition to the Flemington Chapter of Business Networking International (BNI). He served as board member of the Somerset Business Education Partnership and the Hunterdon Economic Partnership (HEP). Delia graduated high school from the Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, NJ). He earned his BA in English from Dickinson College. Ed is a frequent speaker on branding, marketing, and creative thinking.
Have A Suggestion?

View Author's Blog
Become An Author

View Author's Video
Become An Author

Free Downloads


Ed Delia's

Complete
List Of
Branding
Articles

First Name
Last Name
Email
 
If you enjoyed this article, get Ed Delia's Complete List of Branding Articles For FREE!

More Ed Delia
Convergence Technology Theory in 99 Reality in 06
TodayRelevance Rules
Heck of a Nice Guy
Time to Conquer Your Fear
Where Branding Goes Wrong And What to Do About It
Keeping it REAL when it comes to branding
The Top 11 Branding Challenges Facing MidSized Companies
Why Customers Buy
Part Wizard Part Nerd and one Heck of a Great Brand
What to do When Youre the VP of Sales AND Marketing
Become An Author