The law of opposites from "summary" of The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al Ries,Laura Ries
The law of opposites states that if you are shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader. If you're not the leader, your only hope is to find an opening not occupied by the leader. Being similar to the leader is not enough. You have to be different. When you're the leader, you have to avoid the temptation to make your product better. Instead, you should make it different. The reason is simple: Being better is still being second. Being different is being first.
To find a hole in the leader's position, you must first understand the leader's position. You can't find a hole by being different for the sake of being different. You have to find a hole that's not occupied. Finding a hole is not easy. The leader is usually pretty good at defending its position. That's why it's the leader. But sometimes the leader gets complacent or self-satisfied. That's the time to make your move. The leader's position is determined by the competition. The competition is the yin to the leader's yang. To find a hole in the leader's position, you must understand the competition.
When a leader doesn't occupy a position, it's usually because the position is not very important. If the position were important, the leader would occupy it. Trying to occupy an unimportant position is a sure way to fail. The key to success is finding a hole in the leader's position that's important. If the hole you find isn't important, it won't make you a leader. When you find a hole in the leader's position, you must fill it with something that's important to the customer. If what you fill it with isn't important, the hole will collapse and you'll fall in.
To find a hole in the leader's position, you must be prepared to change your mind. The hole is not usually where you think it is. You have to be willing to move left or right or up or down. Finding a hole is a process of discovery. When you find the hole, you'll know it. It will be a magical moment. Everything will fall into place. You'll see the light. You'll know you've found the right position. You'll know you've found the opposite.
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