Blinkers on

BLINKERS ON
In business, it's a good idea to keep your blinkers on (most of the time). 

Too many people worry too much about what other people are doing.

It's a real social and cultural problem we have right now. I suspect we have social media to thank for it. Everyone always looks like they've got a rosy life when you look at Instagram. Like they've all got their stuff sorted out. 

In business, it's the same. 

So many of us constantly worry about what local and overseas competitors are doing. It's counterproductive and breeds envy. This is true also for brand owners who are more focused on what their competitors are doing than creating a unique pathway for themselves. 

I find in the marketing services industry, a lot of businesses have an unhealthy obsession with their competition, both marketers and agencies. While context is important, being proud and confident in your offer and single minded in your approach can prevent the constant distraction, helping you to:

🔹 Value the products you DO offer and allow you to be more single minded
🔹 Have emotional clear space to innovate with clarity
🔹 Remain focused and ethical in the way you operate
🔹 Setup positive ways of working and behaviours with customers and agencies

Thankfully, I've always been pretty good about not really worrying about what other people are doing. My approach to competition has always been this:

Build the community around you
Have respect for other businesses
Know what they're doing and understand what's going on in the industry
Understand where you fit in the picture
Figure out what you do best and focus on doing it well
Communicate what you do well and why it matters to your customers

That means every now and again, you'll need to look around at what other people are doing. But don't get too hung up on "grass is greener" thinking. Everyone's different. 

Blinkers off for a second…

After 10 years in business at The Edison Agency the only times I might feel a twinge of envy is when it comes to award outcomes or great case studies I see circulating of brands I know and respect. I get that twinge of creative FOMO and I have to remind myself to take a breath, be grateful for the work we have the privilege to create and respect the great work other agencies are doing to maintain high industry standards. Not always easy!

Blinkers back on now! 

I’d be interested to know… do you mostly prefer to keep your blinkers on or off and why?

This post is part of a 10 year reflection series, covering some of my biggest takeaways from the past decade in business. Read the blog here: https://lnkd.in/g9t5nWP3