Copying is Just a Bad Idea

I once had this client, they thought they were going to revolutionize an industry. It was actually just one Marketing Manager trying to push through an idea. But in reality the idea was just replicating what other industries had already done. Sure it works sometimes, if your idea is one step above, improved, better somehow.

But not this one. Just a straight rip off. This was a major corporation and just one person pushing through an idea. A bad idea. I know everyone internally (as well as those of us at the agency) knew it was a bad idea. Still, this one person had the power to push it through. Millions and millions of dollars in product R & D, no consumer market research, just an industry hack, pushing, selling, talking the idea up the chain of command.

In the end, the product was a complete failure. No surprise there, and sorry, I can’t mention it by name.

But I did learn that being original is important. You can study what others have done well. You can do the research. You can actually see if there is a real consumer need. Yet in this case, none of this was done. Amazing how some big corporations can invest in a stupid, plagiarized idea, and let it be developed and marketed by the strength of one individual (albeit, a misguided one in this case), and not take the time to really do any testing.

Well, I sensed it was doomed, but our job wasn’t to judge. They didn’t want to hear anything negative about this product. We just had to create the advertising and try to market a product that was obviously going to be a failure. We did fight it, but it was useless after the millions had been spent to develop the product.

Never copy an idea. See what is out there and try to make it better, or better yet, be original. Don’t spend OPM (other people’s money), if you wouldn’t truly invest your own money in that idea. That is the one single thing that will make you most valuable in your job.

Try and be original. It isn’t really that hard. You just have to take the time to think, research, plan and of course, bounce your ideas off of those you trust, and then react, develop, create.

If you work for a major corporation or even a minor one, first review your idea and believe in it as though you were investing your life savings in it. If you go through that process first, you truly will be successful.

At least that is my opinion. Would love your thoughts on this one…