Be Light
The asymmetric advantage giants can't copy
Thirty years ago, if you wanted to promote a brand, you needed money. A lot of it.
There were no free channels to speak of.
You had two options:
You could either pay for advertising space—in newspapers, on TV, in magazines…
Or you could do something newsworthy and pray that a journalist would care.
Both were difficult. And those were your only choices.
Today?
You can reach billions of people for free.
In theory, you don’t need to pay the gatekeepers anymore.
The channels are in your pocket.
So what’s missing?
Why aren’t most brands taking full advantage of this miracle?
Because the marketers running these brands were trained under the old playbook—the one written by the giants of 30 years ago.
They have free distribution…
But their minds are still wired for the days of paid TV commercials.
They post on Instagram the same way they'd place a newspaper ad:
Just as clunky, just as rare, just as boring.
Why?
Because they’re copying the big guys.
If the giants are doing it this way, it must be the right way—right?
Wrong.
The rules are different for them.
They can afford to whisper.
Everyone already knows who they are.
You don’t have that luxury.
If you're up against giants—if your budget is smaller, your awareness is lower—then you can’t play their game.
You need to go asymmetric.
You already have free tools to publish content every day. Use them. This is a gift.
If your category leader posts three times a week, don’t assume that’s the “right” rhythm.
You post thirty times.
Say what you believe. Say it with passion.
If it annoys someone, so be it. Let them unfollow.
You’re not here to please everyone.
You’re here to find your people.
Tell us what your brand stands for.
Tell us what it stands against.
Tell us why it exists, what it believes in, what it's trying to fix.
I’m not saying you should get political or jump into every trending topic.
I’m saying: tell the story of why your brand exists.
You must have a reason.
And for the love of all things good, don’t sound like a press release.
Don’t speak in ad-speak.
Don’t speak like a consultant at a McKinsey.
Speak like a person.
The giants?
Their way of doing things might be right—for them.
But not for you.
They can just show up.
You have to stand out.
So shake the water.
Cause confusion.
Make noise.
Stir things up.
Don’t run your 90-day-old brand like it’s 90 years old.
Be light.
Because if you get lighter…
They can’t catch you.
Because they can’t get light.