Fly on the E-Commerce Cyberwall

Jeff Has a Brush With Sanjaya Fever
I can't believe I'm writing a post on American Idol.

I've never been the least bit interested in it, never watched it.

But everywhere I turn, lately, I see articles about "Sanjaya Fever."

I've read enough to learn to that Sanjaya is a contestant whom many AI afficiandos believe has no business sharing the stage with other, more talented contestants.

I don't know whether that's the case and I don't really care. But what I've read teaches some pretty interesting marketing lessons.

Supposedly, Sanjaya manages to survive each week based on the obsession that preteen girls have with his boyish good looks and unconventional style. While other contestants strive to look professional, Sanjaya consiously strives to stand out with weird hairstyles and in-your-face fashion choices.

I don't know about the preteen girls conspiracy theory, but I'd bet that his support stretches to a lot of people who vote to keep him on simply because they're curious what weird getup he'll come up with next week. And that brings us to the first marketing lesson that Sanjaya teaches:

Being different sells.

Most inexperienced marketers try to blend in. They're afraid that if they appear at all different from everyone else, they'll be seen as amateurs. That's why so many websites, ads, and sales copy are mind-numbingly forgetable.

But be a little different and people will notice. Be a lot different and MAN, will they notice!

You've got to be smart about it. Not every way of being different is good. Would voters keep Sanjaya on if his persona was the ultimate geek who didn't realize how uncool he looked? Probably not.

But Sanjaya's persona as an I'm-gonna-be-who-I-am-no-matter-what-the-big-bad-music-executives-say rebel struck a chord with enough people to keep him on the show this far and probably a little farther.

Don't be afraid to be different—in an intelligently planned way. Setting yourself apart from the crowd gets you noticed. And getting noticed can mean sales.
Jeff


P.S. There's another marketing lesson I see in Sanjaya fever, too. But I'll save that for tomorrow.

In the meantime, if you want to find out other ways to stand out in your marketing, check out the free, downloadable book, "7 Hidden Psychological Secrets for Maximum Sales" that I'm currently featuring in the free ebooks section of my site.

Labels: American Idol, marketing, promote business, Sanjaya