01/12/2025
A Big Lesson I Learnt at Church ...
Gamechanger, as we start a new week, Let’s talk about the dangers of copying what others are doing and how it affects your brand. You never know, this could set your tone for the whole week.
So Gamechanger, stay with me and follow closely...
To explain this principle clearly, let me take you to what happened at my church today........
Let's go back to how it started... A few weeks ago, we invited a youth praise and worship choir to minister during one of our services.
They came…
They sang…
And there was this ONE song that shook the whole church. Everyone felt it.
It instantly became our favourite.
I’m telling you, it was the song of the week. I am not a prophet...but I am sure of this one thing....it was a song in everyone's heart throughout the week.
But that’s not where the story is
Fast forward two weeks later (that's today).
One of our own praise team members decided to lead the same song.
(Now, church people please help me with the right terms - led the song, sang the song..which is which)… Anyways whatever it’s called, if you know the correct term, just replace it quietly. You know what I mean. 😂
Anyways back to our story, so she started singing…
And the reaction?
Eish. At first people looked at her like she had just committed an abomination. No lies.
Later, yes, we warmed up to it…
But the song didn’t hit the same.
It didn’t shake the room like it did the day the visiting girl sang it.
Why?
Because instead of focusing on the message of the song…
We were comparing. Comparing her with the girl who sang it first.....And in our minds we were shouting copy cat 😂. Why?
We knew she wasn’t the one who introduced the song to us.
We knew she was repeating something that hit harder the first time.
So in our minds, it felt like she copied - (if you have a softer word, replace it, but copied fits just fine).
And what happened, also happens in life, the one who introduces something first is usually the one people remember. I am sure you can relate to this also.
This is the business lesson I’m trying to bring home.
So here is what copying does to your brand.....
1. People will always compare you to the one who did it first.
That means you’re not starting on level ground. You may have to climb twice as high just to be taken seriously.
2. People will subconsciously see you as “the second best.” It's their nature, there is nothing you can do about it.
That’s just how the human mind works. Unless you completely outdo yourself, the original will always hold a stronger position.
Let me give you practical examples to drive the point more deeper:
If you’re making juice, people will compare your product to Mazoe or Cascade.
If you’re making sausages, they’ll compare you to Colcom.
That's why you compete Pepsi with Coca-Cola
What other examples can you think of?
So what am I trying to say -even if there are other brands out there, the human mind clings to the first name & it recognises it as the “leader.”
And, let's be honest between you and the giant brand they already trust?
Most people will choose the giant.
That’s the danger of doing what everyone else is doing.
But hear me well…
I’m not saying reinvent the wheel.
I’m not saying throw away everything and start creating strange, unfamiliar products.
No.
I’m saying add your spice.
Add your flavour.
Add your twist.
Give people something they can point to and say: This right here… this is what makes this brand different.
Because I’m telling you - if my beautiful sister had changed something when she sang that song, even a little…
We wouldn’t have compared.
We would've simply enjoyed.
So Gamechanger, listen carefully:
People will always compare your product to what they know.
The first person to introduce something becomes the leader in the consumer’s mind - and people trust the leader.
So don’t just aim to be first in the market… Aim to be first in the mind.
Promote your product.
Be consistent. Be bold. And most importantly - be different in a way people can see, feel, and remember. BE YOU. HAVE YOUR UNIQUE BRAND VOICE I BEG YOU. I REALLY DO.
That’s how you stand out.
That’s how you win.
That’s how you become unforgettable.
©RHAC ✓ YOUR HOOK TO MORE VALUE
EDUCATE || EMPOWER || INSPIRE || ELEVATE
