Our obsession with being remarkable

In a recent event I volunteered at Ngee Ann Secondary School, it involves making lanterns by students and elderly. In total, 800 over lanterns were made to break the Singapore Book of Records. Overall, it's good fun for the 100 odd elderly who enjoyed themselves on a rainy Friday morning.

Today, records are continuously being made and broken. It lies in being 'the most' in something. We have an obsession with that notion of remarkability. We celebrate, honor and applaud those who attained it. Till someone better knocks them off their record.

Can someone build a taller sky scraper? Or a bigger Ferris Wheel?

Brands today are having a hard time standing out. Why? Too many brands say the same thing or nothing at all. Hence, tribes switch brands because they have a hard time deciphering what is the real difference.

There is hope for brands who seek otherwise. They are the outliers who define new meanings for consumers. Nintendo Wii do not challenge Xbox and Playstation for better graphics and fingers-only gaming. Wii takes on movement gaming and became remarkable. Today, Wii has more game titles than PS3 even though they are a later entrant. Wii can be argued to be the best in experiential gaming.

In the art of being remarkable, here are some of my thoughts.

1) Recognize that you need to be remarkable to win.
2) Winning everyone over is not going to work. Winning over those that matters to your brand matters more.
3) Innovation is a culture, more than a mission.
4) You do not need to be a million dollar company to become remarkable. Being remarkable can make you worth millions.
5) Think what can you give first rather than what you can receive. Service attitude counts. Think Zappos.

Please leave your comments, if any.