Almost everyone I know has played the board game Monopoly at some point during their early years. The objective of the game is to buy and then rent or sell property on the board to become the wealthiest player and create a monopoly.
As an entrepreneur, each of us cherishes a similar idea for our product or service. Marketing honchos have cried their voice hoarse telling business owners to create a USP – Unique Selling Proposition.
I too had filled my head full-up with the idea that if I did not have a USP, I was doomed. But, as a writer, who pens marketing copy for varied clients, it has always been a struggle to stick my neck out from the crowd. The ever-changing market scenario makes it difficult to maintain exclusive control over a domain; this is especially true for writer where your work can be easily ‘cut and pasted’.
Last week I was introduced to the diametric game of Anti-Monopoly. As the name suggests, the economics of the game work to balance out the dominance of the Monopolist. Cited as “the real estate trading game for the 21st century”, you can easily see why the instruction manual calls out to those ‘with an entrepreneurial spirit’.
To stand up to the Monopolists (early players in the real-market scenario), the Competitors (people like you and me) stand up to the monopolists. With better pricing, added benefits, and the choice of variety, the Competitor can break the Monopolists’ market; on the boardgame and in real life.
I have often rolled my eyes when someone asks me to paraphrase a brilliant copywriting idea to suit my client requirement. But lately I am having a change of heart. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, improvise on what the Monopolist already has in play. The magic formula has worked; it will work for you too. Afterall, Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.