The Secret to Getting Noticed

As I sit in the passenger seat of my car today (wife is driving), I am utterly distracted by the countless political yard signs plastered across my city. But what boggles me most, is the candidates absolute failure of differentiation. Every single candidate does the exact same thing and expects to be noticed, understood, and voted for. How stupid is that?

My theory is this: Most candidates (most people for that matter) are not good marketers. On top of that, they refuse to recognize that the world has changed. Just like with every element of society these days, the internet and technology have redefined it. What worked in the past, does not work today. People are distracted, consumed, and overwhelmed. They are tired of being marketed to. Tired of having discern the truth from lies and opportunity from deception. The last thing anyone wants to see is another sign. Do these candidates really believe this is working still?

The tip: Today’s battle is getting noticed in the noise, not building trust and loyalty, that part is easy. The human brain is wired to only notice what is different. In a sea of red, white, and blue candidates the only one who will get noticed is the bright neon orange one. Whether in business or politics, it’s critical to recognize the new playing field, noise. How can you get noticed? How can you become an orange dot in a sea of gray. When you figure this out, winning votes or winning dollars becomes easy again.