“Oprah’s on one, and Howard Stern’s on the other. That’s how you tell XM and Sirius apart,” said funnyman Harry Shearer on his weekend NPR show.
In fact, that’s quite right. And I’ve seen it firsthand. Most folks had no idea what differentiated these two services (and more than a few continue to pronounce “Sirius” as “Cyrus,” but that’s another story).
That’s because the distinctions beyond Oprah and Stern are muddy or subtle or non-existent. And muddy, subtle, and non-existent do not make good differentiators.
In differentiating any two reasonably similar things – whether they be radio stations, satellite services, or presidential candidates – consumers are looking for “hooks” which are crystal clear and simple and polarizing.
One guy wears a flag pin and is “patriotic,” while the other does not and thus is not.
One empowers women while the other strips them naked, verbally or otherwise.
Crystal clear, simple, and polarizing.
What’s your differentiator?
