Causes
Causes are not usually unique in the same way as products or services. Usually, a cause presents itself to people who promote it. People rarely choose a cause because it is unique. Just as a cause will present itself and demand a response, so will a unique product or service.
Unique causes are a headache because they may not have a market. Where a cause is unpopular, the challenge is to find supporters. They may not be aware of the cause or even hostile to it.
An unpopular cause will need promotion to find its market. You don’t choose the cause because it is unpopular but identify the need and seek to make it popular. In this sense a unique cause can be more difficult to market than a unique product or service.
Products and Services
With products and services, the usual route is to find something that’s potentially popular and market it. There are a number of commodity-types that sell well, eg money, health, sex, sport; but it is harder to be unique with these. You’ll notice the environment is not in this list, so perhaps something that benefits the environment needs additional attributes from the more popular categories. Solar panels may for some people be popular because they are good for the environment but they also save money on fuel bills. It can be argued protecting the environment is good for health, although this is a more general advantage and less likely to impact on the life of any particular person.
The main advantage of a unique offer, is it is a clear signal to your particular market that your offer is for them. People need to know you are speaking to them because what you are offering is for them.
You may be willing to sell to anybody but in reality most people are not interested. Be clear how your offer is unique and people to whom it appeals are more likely to listen.
Competition and Collaboration
Your competitors will be helpful here. Those who sell something similar may have found your market and so you may be able to find a similar group for your offer or adjust your offer to something different for the same group.
Competitors will also give you some idea of where there is a market. Your offer may be unique but if it does not have a market, you have a problem; either your market does not exist or else you have not found your market. It is not always easy to know whether a new idea has a market.
Some people argue it is better to compete in established markets and sometimes this is true. Competitors may be aware their market is bigger than they can manage and if so, there may be opportunities for collaboration. If you have something that might appeal to a competitor’s market, it may be possible to collaborate.
Collaboration is another topic but it is important to remember businesses generally help each other out. Cut-throat competition is a media myth. Often new businesses who have not discovered the myth, come across as dubious sales people. If you have a unique idea, your task is to market it and part of that is finding the help you need to turn it into something people want to buy.
This post is one of series about the products, services and causes element of the circuit questionnaire.