Territory

I just saw a stray cat enter our backyard much to the distain of our moggy. You know what happened…

There was a lot of hissing, a couple of left jabs with claws out, bushy tails and the obligatory chase up over the back fence.

Territory is about physical space, location, proximity to food, water and shelter. The basics which sustain life. Our cat was simply protecting what it needs to survive. Humans do it too. And so should your business or startup.

Cats are pretty smart. They know that there isn’t really enough room for two in most houses. It’s no different with brands. Great brands are always territorial. When the local alley cat turns up for a feed, the incumbent brand wont move to the left and share the food bowl. There’ll be fight, every time.

But the trick is this, brands are only territorial about their house (read here key distribution point). If you’re getting a great feed elsewhere, they won’t even notice. You can build some momentum and cashflow before they notice you’re gaining size and power. If you want to get off the street like your local alley cat, stop living day to day, then you and your startup have to find a new place without a cat. Be nice to the owners (your customers / audience), offer them something emotional and they might just adopt you.

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