9/16/2008

Brand yourself...

...have we taken competition too far in America?

A lot of advice I have heard recently upon graduating from Ohio University is that we all need to specialize in our own little categories. In other words if we are going to be successful we have to be an expert in something that is unique and no one else is an expert on that category except us.

It is no longer about having the best product, that is a given, but it is not enough. In order to become great in today's market, today's America/today's workplace, you have to have something new, fresh, special. Something awesome that no one else has. You have to be different and unique.

In my opinion this is not great news to hear....

We have become so competitive and so customer oriented that we are unbalanced as a nation, I am only speculating....but speculate here with me. With so much stock and hope in branding yourself to be unique and specialized, we are forgetting about tried and try important values and jobs that have made America so successful in the past.

Sure everyone wants to be happy with their job. But job security is probably a little more important than getting that dream job! Think about it. America's unemployment recently has been increasing. People are losing jobs right and left. We do not have time to create this cool, fictional job, that is perfect for you - when we are all suffering in this drained economy.

And besides thing about the effects if everyone had their own specialized company, everyone was their own brand....There would be way too many choices for customers. I know customers typically like choice, but then think about Walmart. Customers also like having it all in ONE place, convenience...

So which is it? I do not know. I have a lot of unconnected thought here. It is not fully developed. It is random, I am sorry.