By ABE NOVICKUpdated: SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 19:21(Image Courtesy of Reuters)If you’re reading this blog with the word “brand” in it, it might be that you’re a lone entrepreneur, a start-up, a go-getter or a small business and already trying to figure out how you can round third, come home safe and in the black for a year-end Rosh HaShana win and celebration.If so, you’ve probably been looking at spreadsheets and projections for too many sunny days and summer weeks, so I suggest you take a break go out and see the summer blockbuster projected on the big screen, “Ant-Man.” It may give your business the super jolt it needs.To miniaturize the storyline; Scott Lang is a burglar and an ex-con who gets lured in by Dr. Hank Pym to first steal and then don the shrinking Ant-Man suit, providing him tiny size but extraordinary strength so he can save the world.I know what you’re thinking. How is this important to me and how’s it affect my bottom-line? Well, try this analysis on for size.Do you face an army of much larger competitors? Is your small size and modest ad budget keeping you from using all the potential marketing strength at your disposal? Well, here are a few tips derived from the flick.• In order to stand out among a sea of competitors, you need to use all of your undersized strength and aim it at the most vital target market that you know you can move.• Find a narrow area, a niche that your bigger competitors don’t even see, can’t bother with or ignore and stick to it.• Create, brand and promote one simple message that will motivate your customers and focus your energy on them.
• Then narrow your sights even further and ask yourself how can I micro-pinpoint them by income or occupation.• Zero in on when your audience is most motivated to act on your message (maybe just an 8-week period) where you can dominate.In “Ant-Man” Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) also has many allies, in fact they’re actual ants – an army of them that he communicates with in order to succeed.By communicating with and winning over his allies he’s able to call upon the tiny creepy-crawlers to help him when he’s in need or in trouble. Who are your allies? How many do you have? In today’s world, even if you’re a small company or a start-up, there’s little excuse not to have access to an army of like-minded team members via LinkedIn.But even with that army of allies in place, remember your strength lies in keeping your message tight and focused like a laser on your consumer. Then, while you may be small, your size will work to your advantage and you’ll seem even bigger because your power has been increased and magnified exponentially.Abe Novick is a writer and communications consultant and can be reached at abe@abebuzz.com
