Often, in this world of so many products we find that all of the products within a product genre share the same functional qualities.  Finding a functional differentiator is extremely difficult.  A functional differentiator is a product quality or feature that makes it different from another product in the same genre.  For example, I sell a lot on eBay.  I sell the same goods that a number of other people are selling.  So, how do I differentiate and get people to buy from me instead of another seller?  Smoke and mirrors.

The smoke and mirrors (aka induced differentiation) of marketing is the way that most companies position their brands to close sales.  A colleague of mine worked for Associated Foods Continue Reading »