Lochhead on Marketing

Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing 2025! In this New Year's episode, we reflect on the past year and look forward to 2025, with a focus on significant career trends and the impact of AI on the workforce. With 60% of Americans considering job changes, the episode highlights the diminishing value of traditional knowledge work and the rise of "creative capitalists" who leverage AI for innovation. Our 2025 focus includes helping individuals identify their unique strengths, connect them to meaningful contributions, and achieve personal and financial fulfillment. Join us in embracing these transformative opportunities for a legendary year ahead. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Trends in Job Changes Recent surveys reveal a striking trend: approximately 60% of Americans are contemplating job or career changes in 2025. This statistic, reported by Gallup and corroborated by a résumé templates survey, indicates a widespread desire for new opportunities. Specifically, 56% of individuals are looking to pursue new jobs, with 27% actively searching. This data suggests that more than half of the workforce is seeking meaningful transitions in their careers. The New Reality of AI As we navigate this new landscape, we must acknowledge the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). We are no longer in a future where AI is a distant concept; it is now a present reality. The workforce will be divided into two categories: those who thrive in this new environment and those who struggle to adapt. For the past 70 years, the highest value work has been classified as "knowledge work," a term coined by the renowned Peter Drucker. Knowledge workers acquire valuable information and apply it to produce results. However, in an AI-driven world, the value of existing knowledge is diminishing daily. Tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini can provide insights and strategies that were once the exclusive domain of high-end knowledge workers. The Rise of Creative Capitalists In this evolving landscape, the new high-value role is that of the "creative capitalist." These individuals are not just knowledge workers; they are innovators who generate new knowledge and ideas, leveraging AI to enhance their creativity and productivity. Those who can harness AI to create unique solutions and insights will find themselves at the forefront of success in 2025 and beyond. Conversely, those who cling to traditional knowledge work without adapting to the changes brought about by AI may face significant challenges. The tech industry has already seen substantial layoffs, with around 200,000 job losses reported in 2024. This serves as a stark reminder of the need to evolve and embrace new ways of working. To hear more about the new trends and what you need to adapt in this new year 2025, download and listen to this episode.   We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we dive deep with fellow Category Pirate Katrina Kirsch into the critical importance of clarity in marketing. We explore the common pitfalls that entrepreneurs and marketers face when trying to articulate their points of view (POVs) and the challenges of standing out in a crowded marketplace. This episode will break down the key insights from their discussion, and offer thorough explanations & actionable advice to help you refine your marketing strategies. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Katrina Kirsch on the Challenge of Clarity in Marketing Christopher opens the discussion by highlighting a prevalent issue: many marketing messages are convoluted and fail to convey the core message clearly. He points out that when potential customers visit a company's website, they often leave feeling confused about what the business actually does. This confusion stems from the tendency of companies to overcomplicate their messaging, using jargon and clever phrasing that ultimately obscures their value proposition. Katrina agrees, sharing her experiences with creatives who often fall into the trap of trying to be overly clever in their marketing. She emphasizes that while creativity is essential, it should not come at the cost of clarity. The duo stresses that the most effective marketing is straightforward and easy to understand. They argue that clarity is not just a nice-to-have; it is a fundamental requirement for successful marketing. The Power of Simplicity The conversation shifts to the power of simplicity in messaging. Christopher cites Walmart's tagline, "Save money. Live better," as an example of effective simplicity. This tagline is memorable and communicates the brand's value proposition clearly. He contrasts this with the overly complex messaging often found in the tech industry, where companies may describe their products in multiple ways, leading to confusion rather than clarity. Katrina shares a story about a photography club leader who was preparing to launch a virtual camp. The leader's email communications were filled with clever but confusing language, including hidden links and overly complex descriptions. After reviewing the emails together, Katrina advised him to prioritize clarity over cleverness. She emphasizes that when communicating with an audience, especially those unfamiliar with the subject matter, it is crucial to be as clear as possible. Katrina Kirsch on the Dangers of Overcomplication Christopher and Katrina discuss how the desire to sound smart can lead to overcomplicated messaging. They reference a smart startup CEO who, despite his intelligence, produced a press release that described the company's product in six different ways. This lack of consistency made it difficult for readers to understand what the company actually did. Christopher points out that this is a common mistake among intelligent individuals who may feel the need to showcase their knowledge through complex language. Katrina adds that in certain fields, such as academia or science, complexity can be valued. However, in marketing, especially for solopreneurs and small businesses, clarity should take precedence. The speakers agree that the goal should be to communicate the problem being solved and the solution offered in the simplest terms possible. To hear more from Katrina Kirsch on the Importance of having a clear POV, download and listen to this episode. Bio Katrina Kirsch is a skilled content strategist and writer specializing in creating impactful marketing strategies and engaging content. With a background in journalism and digital marketing, Katrina has a talent for crafting clear, compelling messages that resonate with diverse audiences. She excels in SEO, social media management, and brand storytelling, helping businesses build strong online presences.

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Fernando Labastida, an innovative thinker in category design and a proponent of businesses creating their own unique markets. The discussion centers on the transformative role of writing a book as a strategy for businesses to carve out their unique markets and establish themselves as category leaders. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Fernando Labastida on the Value of Writing a Book Fernando Labastida begins by discussing the advantages of writing a book, asserting that it can serve as a powerful means to organize and galvanize ideas. He notes that while it's possible to design a category without writing a book, the process of writing can clarify thoughts and solidify concepts. Fernando likens writing a book to assembling a puzzle or using a paint-by-numbers coloring book, where a detailed outline helps structure the ideas. He also highlights how a book can kickstart marketing efforts, enabling authors to engage in "information wars" and "air wars" to evangelize their categories. A book can open doors to speaking engagements, podcast appearances, and networking opportunities, amplifying the author's message across various platforms. The Impact of Being an Author Christopher shares a personal anecdote about the impact of being a published author. He recounts a recent experience in Fiji, where a stranger recognized him as one of the authors of "Play Bigger" and expressed how the book had changed his life and business. This moment underscores the profound effect that a book can have on readers, creating a lasting connection that is often more impactful than other forms of media, such as podcasts or blogs. Fernando posits that in an age where attention spans are dwindling, writing a book demonstrates a commitment to deep thinking and sustained effort, which can resonate with audiences. Creating New Language and Thought Leadership The conversation shifts to the importance of language in establishing thought leadership. Christopher points out that those who create new language often dominate their categories. He cites Starbucks as an example, where the company's unique terminology has shaped customer expectations and industry standards. Similarly, he discusses how ChatGPT has redefined language around artificial intelligence, introducing terms like "large language model" and "prompt engineer," which have become integral to the conversation about AI. Fernando echoes this sentiment, referencing the Eisenberg brothers, who coined terms like "conversion rate optimization" to describe emerging concepts in digital marketing. He emphasizes that new problems arising from technological advancements necessitate new solutions and, consequently, new language to describe them. To hear more from Fernando Labastida and the legendary value of writing a book, download and listen to this episode. Bio Fernando Labastida is a seasoned marketing strategist known for his expertise in content marketing and business growth. He has helped tech companies and startups build brand authority through strategic storytelling, connecting businesses with their target audiences. Passionate about innovative growth, Fernando excels in crafting compelling narratives that drive engagement and customer loyalty, making him a trusted leader in tech marketing who skillfully blends strategy with creativity to achieve impactful results. Links Follow Fernando Labastida! Website | LinkedIn We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, Category Pirates Christopher Lochhead and Eddie Yoon talk about the power of simplifying business strategies into a One-Sentence Strategy. They discuss how successful companies, from large enterprises to solopreneurs, leverage concise strategies to drive focus and alignment. Highlighting examples like Gillette's "revenue per user per year" and Microsoft's "a computer on every desktop," they emphasize the importance of clarity and customer-centric approaches. The episode underscores that while crafting a one-sentence strategy is challenging, it is essential for achieving cohesive company culture and long-term success. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Power of Having One Clear Strategy Eddie Yoon emphasizes that the most successful businesses, regardless of their size, often operate under a singular, clear metric or strategy. This simplicity allows for better focus and alignment across the organization. He cites the example of Gillette, which used "revenue per user per year" (RUPI) and "profit per user per year" (PUPI) as their guiding metrics. This approach not only streamlined their decision-making but also ensured that all team members understood their primary objectives. Christopher & Eddie then give examples of several legendary companies that have thrived due to their clear, concise strategies. For instance, Microsoft's one-sentence strategy was "a computer on every desktop," which guided their product development and marketing efforts for decades. Similarly, YETI, known for its premium ice coolers, positioned itself with the straightforward strategy of offering a "premium ice cooler," differentiating itself from traditional, lower-cost options. The Importance of Customer Focus They also point out how these companies maintain a customer-centric approach. For example, the Keurig coffee system was built around the idea of convenience and choice, with the metric of "K-cups per brewer per day" driving their business decisions. This focus on customer experience and satisfaction is crucial for long-term success. Christopher explains that while these strategies are simple to understand, executing them effectively is often challenging. He notes that when a company has a clear strategy, it becomes easier to align employees, investors, and customers towards a common goal. This alignment is essential for fostering a cohesive company culture and driving growth. The Challenge of Crafting a One-Sentence Strategy Creating a one-sentence strategy is not a straightforward task. It requires deep reflection and a thorough understanding of the business's core mission and values. Christopher & Eddie discuss how many organizations settle for vague or overly complex strategies, which can lead to confusion and misalignment. They advocate for a rigorous process of distillation, where businesses must sift through their ideas and focus on what truly matters. One of the standout examples is the Ritz-Carlton's guiding principle: "Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." This simple yet profound statement encapsulates their commitment to exceptional service and sets a high standard for their employees. It illustrates how a well-crafted strategy can inspire and elevate a brand's identity. To hear more From Christopher & Eddie about the One-Sentence Strategy, download and listen to this episode. Want to hear more Pirate Jams? Head on over to Category Pirates and enjoy more conversations between Category Pirates Christopher & Eddie! Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand,

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, Christopher Lochhead, a three-time CMO and a leading figure in category design, gives his Pirates Perspective into the critical concept that "the category makes the brand, not the other way around." This principle underscores the importance of understanding and defining a category in marketing, as it can profoundly influence consumer perception and the overall success of a brand. Through engaging stories and practical examples, Christopher illustrates how effective category design can lead to market dominance. Additionally, Christopher highlights Microsoft's strategic shift in the tech industry, emphasizing the importance of a unified category approach. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Understanding Category Design Category design is a strategic approach that involves creating and defining a new market category, thereby positioning a brand as the leader within that category. This concept is pivotal because it shifts the focus from competing within an existing market to creating a new space where the brand can dominate. Christopher emphasizes that successful brands are those that not only understand their category but also actively shape it. The Category Shapes the Brand Christopher's central thesis is that the category makes the brand, not the other way around. This means that the success of a brand is largely determined by how well it defines and owns its category. By focusing on the problems they solve and the experiences they create, companies can differentiate themselves and achieve lasting success in their respective markets. Case Studies: Barcade and Qualtrics Christopher then shares compelling examples to illustrate the importance of category design. One notable example is Barcade, an innovative arcade bar that successfully carved out its niche by blending the nostalgia of classic arcade games with a vibrant bar atmosphere. By defining its category clearly, Barcade attracted a dedicated customer base and differentiated itself from traditional bars and arcades. Another significant case study is Qualtrics, a company that transformed its market position through a focus on experience management. Christopher contrasts Qualtrics with its competitors, such as Medallia and SurveyMonkey, to highlight the impact of effective category design. While Qualtrics successfully defined and owned its category, the other companies struggled to differentiate themselves, leading to varying degrees of success in the marketplace. Microsoft's Journey Christopher recounts the story of Microsoft and its journey to dominate the office productivity software market. Initially, Microsoft faced fierce competition from established players like WordPerfect in word processing, Lotus in spreadsheets, and dBase in databases. Despite launching competitive products, Microsoft struggled to gain significant market share. The turning point came when Mike Maples Sr., a key figure at Microsoft, discovered an anomaly in sales data during a trip to Australia. He learned that bundling applications together and offering them at a discounted price led to a significant uptick in sales. This insight prompted Maples to rethink the problem: instead of viewing these applications as separate categories, he recognized that they collectively addressed a larger issue—productivity for office workers. To hear more about Christopher Lochhead's Pirate Perspective on Brand and Category Design, download and listen to this episode. You can also check out more Pirates Perspective at Category Pirates. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap,

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, Christopher Lochhead and Eddie Yoon dissects Apple's latest announcements from the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on an all-new Pirates Perspective. The conversation centers around Apple's introduction of Apple Intelligence, a cutting-edge AI-driven personal intelligence system, and their strategic partnership with OpenAI. They break down the key insights from their discussion, offering actionable advice and thorough explanations for marketers and tech enthusiasts alike. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Apple Intelligence: A New Category in AI Apple's announcement of Apple Intelligence marks a significant milestone in the tech industry. This AI-driven personal intelligence system is designed to enhance user experiences by integrating smarter, more intuitive tools into daily lives. Christopher Lochhead praises this move, emphasizing Apple's role as a primary category designer, particularly in the realm of personal computers. Actionable Insights: Embrace Category Design: Companies should focus on creating new categories rather than just competing within existing ones. This approach can lead to market leadership and long-term success. Integrate AI Thoughtfully: Embedding AI in products should be done in an evolutionary manner, ensuring that it enhances user experiences without overwhelming them. Strategic Partnership with OpenAI Apple's decision to partner with OpenAI rather than compete with them is a strategic move that highlights the importance of collaboration in the tech industry. Christopher Lochhead commends this approach, noting that it allows Apple to focus on serving their customers through thoughtful and aggressive innovation. Actionable Insights: Leverage Partnerships: Collaborating with other industry leaders can lead to innovative solutions and a better customer experience. Focus on Customer Needs: Innovation should always be driven by the goal of serving customers better, rather than just outpacing competitors. Privacy, Data Usage Concerns, and Regulations in AI Eddie Yoon expresses both excitement and concern about the potential benefits and privacy implications of Apple's personal intelligence system. He highlights the need for careful consideration of data usage and consumer privacy. The conversation also delves into the need for oversight and regulations in the AI space. Christopher emphasizes the importance of strong controls while acknowledging Apple's historical business practices and the need for critical examination. To hear more Pirates Perspective, download and listen to this episode. You can also check out more Pirates Perspective at Category Pirates. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different  **NEW!** The B2B Tech Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Engineer Your Market, Find What Makes You Different, And Become A Category Queen We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, I would like to share with you a very special tribute to a man who's not only a legend in the world of basketball but also a cherished friend of mine—Bill Walton. Join me as we take a walk down memory lane, revisiting the first time Bill graced my podcast with his presence and the indelible mark he's left on my life. A Meeting of Minds in San Diego It was August 24th, 2017—a day etched in my memory, thanks to the friends who captured the moment and shared a photo of our first encounter. Meeting Bill Walton was like stepping into a storybook where the characters leap off the page. Here was one of the greatest NBA players of all time, a man whose stature was matched only by his extraordinary personality, ready to become a part of my world. Our initial meeting took place at an executive event in sunny San Diego, where we were both slated to speak. I remember watching Bill, completely unscripted, captivating the audience with his life's slideshow in the background. His ability to weave tales and engage listeners with nothing but his memories and a carousel of personal photos was nothing short of mesmerizing. The Teacher in My Life Bill's journey is one of resilience. From battling a stutter to enduring chronic injuries, his path was never easy. Yet, he emerged stronger, channeling his love for music and life into everything he did. His passion was infectious, and his dedication to being unapologetically unique was something that deeply resonated with me. Bill played a crucial role in my transition to becoming a teacher. His influence was a guiding light, helping me navigate through new territories with confidence. His life lessons extended beyond the court, and I was fortunate to be one of the many who benefited from his wisdom. Radical Generosity and Unwavering Support One of the most touching aspects of my friendship with Bill was experiencing his radical generosity firsthand. I'll never forget the care package of memorabilia he sent my way—a testament to his thoughtful nature and the value he placed on our bond. In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, it was Bill's kindness that shone through the darkness. His heartfelt messages provided comfort and support when I needed it most, further solidifying the profound impact of our friendship. As I reflect on the time spent with Bill Walton, I'm filled with immense gratitude. His legacy extends far beyond his basketball accolades; it's etched in the hearts of those he's touched with his generosity, spirit, and unwavering friendship. I hope that this episode gives you a glimpse into the remarkable man that is Bill Walton and the special place he holds in my life. His story is one of triumph, tenacity, and the power of genuine connections. Thank you for joining me in this celebration of friendship and legacy. Bio Bill Walton, an NBA legend, is renowned for his exceptional skills, dynamic personality, and influential career. Born on November 5, 1952, Walton's basketball journey began at UCLA, where he led the Bruins to two national championships. In the NBA, he played for the Portland Trailblazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics, earning two NBA championships and an MVP award in 1978. In 1997, Bill Walton was selected as one of the NBA's Fifty Greatest Players of all Time. Post-retirement, he became a beloved broadcaster, known for his colorful commentary. Walton's legacy continues to inspire basketball enthusiasts worldwide. Links BillWalton.com | NBA Profile | ESPN Biography We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, the conversation takes a deep dive into the complex and sensitive situation in Gaza, Palestine, Israel, and the broader Middle East, and how our perception here in America is being warped by misinformation from different sides. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. A Feeling of Déjà Vu for America On the evening of Feb. 20, 1939, the marquee of Madison Square Garden was lit up for the big event: "Pro American Rally." But it was the farthest thing from being American as can be. Uniformed members of pro-Hitler group The German American Bund carried American and nazi flags. That being said, In the last week of December 1942, fifty leading German-Americans (including baseball legend Babe Ruth) signed a declaration condemning nazis which appeared in ten major American daily newspapers. Ultimately, American patriots stopped the American nazis. Looking at the events this week at Columbia, MIT, NYU, and other elite US schools, they mirror much of the hate, horror and scale of The German American Bund. While some were there to genuinely support the civilians trapped in the ongoing conflict, there were others that openly supported Hamas' extremist actions. It was very ironic to see banners about women and LGBT+ groups support, when they are the most oppressed in the world that these people envision. What's even worse is that there were reasons to suspect that these protests were sponsored by people who don't want to get their own hands dirty. (Mis)Information is Rampant One of the downsides of our technological boom is the ease of access to information. Unfortunately, ease of access does not always mean a smart populace. As information is shared from peer to peer, information gets distorted, if not outright manipulated to suit their agendas, that sometimes the victim comes out on the other end as the one being ganged on, instead of the oppressor. This particularly true with social media sites, who has become the de-facto source of information for the younger generation. There was even a brief period where young people were lauding a speech that Bin Laden made to justify 9/11. Never mind the atrocities he and his jihadist group committed in the US and international stage, he made a great speech! Totally justified. Call to Arms Nazis have attacked America from within before. American patriots stopped them. The only question now is, will you and I empower radical jihadists nazis? Or will we stop them, like our ancestors did 78 years ago? To hear more of Christopher Lochhead's points on the matter, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead Links WSJ Article on the Anti-Israel Protesters The World's Record Holder for Executing Women Has Executed Three Women in Three Days This Is Ahmad. He Was Queer In Palestine. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead of Marketing, we review a powerful strategy that has the potential to revolutionize how you approach marketing and demand creation for your product or service. We call this strategy "damming the demand," and it's all about redirecting existing consumer desire to carve out a new category that you can dominate. If you're not convinced, check out how these giants in the industry have utilized this strategy to their advantage by creating demand in an already existing market. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Dam the Demand Traditional marketing often focuses on capturing the demand that already exists. It's about finding a place in the market and filling the needs of consumers who are already looking for solutions. But what if you could do more than just meet existing demand? What if you could create a whole new category of demand? That's where the concept of "damming the demand" comes in. It's a strategy that sits between traditional marketing and category design. Instead of just capturing demand or creating it from scratch, you harness the existing demand and redirect it, creating a new space for your product or service. Lessons from Tech Titans Let's look at some legendary examples to understand this better. Marc Benioff, the founder of Salesforce.com, didn't just create a cloud CRM; he dammed the demand for traditional on-premise CRM solutions. By evangelizing the benefits of cloud-based CRM, he forced a debate in the market, making businesses choose between the old on-premise solutions and the new, more flexible cloud options. This didn't just shift the demand—it expanded it, as more and more businesses began to see the value in cloud-based applications beyond CRM. In the B2C world, Peloton took a similar approach. They saw the demand for spin classes and dammed it by offering an alternative: high-quality home fitness. By doing so, they didn't just capture the existing market for spin classes; they expanded it to include people who wanted the convenience of working out at home. This created a new category of home fitness solutions that has grown exponentially. This isn't a new phenomenon. History is rich with examples of demand damming. Consider Henry Ford, who redirected the demand from horse and buggies to the "horseless carriage," or Marty Cooper, who shifted the demand from landline phones to the "wireless phone" category. These visionaries didn't just create products; they created movements that changed the landscape of their respective industries. The Strategy in Action So, how can you apply this strategy to your business? First, identify the existing demand that you can dam. Look for areas where consumers are already spending their money but might be open to a new, better solution. Once you've dammed the demand, use it to drive revenue in the near term. Then, leverage this demand to expand and create a new category that you can lead. Damming the demand is a potent strategy for any company looking to not just compete but dominate a new market category. By redirecting existing demand, you can create a new demand for your category, driving growth and market expansion. It's a bold move, but as we've seen from the likes of Salesforce and Peloton, it's a move that can redefine your industry and cement your place in history. Bio Christopher Lochhead Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different  **NEW!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, let's talk about why thinking about thinking is the most important kind of thinking. This isn't just another buzz phrase; it's a fundamental practice that can revolutionize the way we approach entrepreneurship, marketing, and business strategy. So we thought that it would be a good idea to refresh new listeners minds and remind the old heads why Context is always King. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Power of Context in Decision-Making In the realm of business, context is everything. It shapes our discussions, influences our decisions, and ultimately determines the trajectory of our companies. It's not just about the data or the trends; it's about grasping the bigger picture and recognizing the underlying currents that drive market dynamics. Most people, particularly those who are entrepreneurial, have a strong bias to action, diving right in and creating content without the context to support it. However, it does have it downsides sometimes. “A strong bias to action means that sometimes, and I know I've been guilty of this more times than I will ever know, we spring to action without doing enough thinking. More importantly, without doing enough thinking and dialoguing around what the context is for whatever it is we're talking about.” – Christopher Lochhead Rejecting the Premise: A Pathway to Innovation One of the most exhilarating concepts we discussed was the power of rejecting the premise. So often, we're boxed in by traditional ways of thinking, by phrases and concepts that are accepted as industry standards. But what happens when we challenge those premises? When we refuse to accept the status quo? That's when innovation truly happens. By rejecting the premise, we open ourselves up to new possibilities, to the potential for creating entirely new categories and leading the market in directions it has never seen before. Challenging Existing Contexts: The Forward-Thinking Mindset A key takeaway from this discussion was the importance of challenging existing contexts. It's easy to fall into the trap of backward thinking, of looking to past successes as a template for future endeavors. However, the true forward-thinking entrepreneur knows that what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. By constantly questioning and reevaluating the context in which we operate, we stay ahead of the curve and maintain a competitive edge. To hear more about how thinking about thinking is the most important kind of thinking, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different  **NEW!** The B2B Tech Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Engineer Your Market, Find What Makes You Different, And Become A Category Queen We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

Today on Lochhead on Marketing, we want to share some insights from a riveting discussion we had with Eddie Yoon, our category pirate brother, about a monumental move by Apple. We're talking about a colossal $110 billion stock buyback and what it means for the tech giant's innovation trajectory, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Apple's Strategic Crossroads: Innovation or Shareholder Pleasing? Apple's decision to buy back stock is a strategic move that has raised eyebrows across the industry. I've always been fascinated by the bold moves that define market leaders, but this move by Apple has us questioning: Is this a sign of maturity and stability, or a red flag signaling a lack of innovative vision? Warren Buffett, a name synonymous with investment acumen, was famously tech-averse until Apple caught his eye. The staggering 95% retention rate of iPhone users and the undeniable addiction to Apple's ecosystem reminded him of his investment thesis on Coca-Cola. But as Eddie and I discussed, there's a nuance to Apple's success under Tim Cook's leadership. Despite the financial growth and profitability, the company has struggled to launch new categories—a hallmark of Apple's DNA. The Apple Watch: A Beacon of Innovation in the Cook Era It's not all a tale of caution, though. The Apple Watch stands out as a testament to Apple's ability to innovate and create new categories even post-Steve Jobs. It's a reminder that Apple still has the chops to redefine markets. But the question lingers: Is this enough to sustain Apple's legendary status? The crux of the discussion centered on the massive potential of AI, as we're just at the dawn of what could be the most significant platform shift since the internet. With Apple's deep pockets, one would expect a torrent of investments in AI, propelling the company to the forefront of this new frontier. Instead, the $110 billion stock buyback seems to suggest a different priority—short-term stock price over long-term category creation. Microsoft's Contrasting Strategy: A Global AI Chess Game Contrast Apple's strategy with Microsoft's aggressive global AI investments, and you get a stark picture of two tech titans taking divergent paths. Microsoft is placing strategic bets on AI across the globe, from the UAE to Malaysia and beyond, positioning itself as a leader in the next wave of technological revolution. To hear more Pirate talk by Christopher Lochhead and Eddie Yoon, download and listen to this episode. If you want to join in the discussion, subscribe to Category Pirates and find more Pirates Perspective buried around the beach. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, it's time again to shave that Marketing Dog with Christopher Lochhead. If you're an avid listener of the podcast, you probably think you're experiencing déjà vu. But we think that people still don't get this simple concept, that it merits a replay. It is also a good reminder for others who may be falling into the trap of overcomplicating their marketing strategies. So strap in, and get ready for some timeless advice from yours truly. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Quality Over Quantity: A Bruce Lee Philosophy in Marketing In the world of marketing, there's a tendency to equate being busy with effectiveness. However, Christopher likens this to a young fighter who is all showboating but lacks the strategic focus to win. This fighter often ends up being knocked out by a more experienced opponent who understands that precision and strategy trump frantic activity. This analogy perfectly encapsulates the inverse relationship between activity and results in marketing. The pressure to be omnipresent in the marketing world is immense. Marketers are often told they need to be on every channel, churning out content at an unsustainable pace. But Christopher challenges this notion with a powerful quote from martial arts legend Bruce Lee: "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." This philosophy is a stark reminder that quality and impact should always take precedence over quantity. Shaving the Marketing Dog: The Art of Elimination One of the strategies Christopher advocates for is "shaving the dog," a metaphor for the practice of eliminating the unnecessary to focus on what truly matters. By force ranking the critical components of a campaign and rigorously evaluating which elements have the maximum impact, marketers can streamline their efforts for better results. “Shave the dog. Shave that doggy down. Practice getting everything out. Consider getting even more radical.” – Christopher Lochhead Thinking Wrong to Do Right Innovation in marketing often requires us to "think wrong," to consider what is 180 degrees from what everyone else would do. This approach fosters creativity and differentiation, setting the stage for truly legendary marketing campaigns. “I learned everything I know about design from a couple of legendary designers and one of them is John Bielenberg. He's an incredible business and corporate marketing designer. He has a perspective; he calls thinking wrong. The idea is this, when you do anything creative, ask yourself ‘what is 180 degrees from what everybody else would do? What is wrong? What would be the wrong way to go do this?'” – Christopher Lochhead This line of thinking also allows you to pursue options that multiply outcomes, as you can sift through the “wrongs” and find those that were rejected, not because it is inherently wrong, but either be not viable in the past, but now doable in our current technology or network. To know more why Complexity Is the Enemy of Revenue and Why It's Time to Shave the Marketing Dog, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different  **NEW!** The B2B Tech Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Engineer Your Market, Find What Makes You Different, And Become A Category Queen

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we are presenting Christopher's partner, friend, collaborator, and brother from another mother, Eddie Yoon, breaking down how to do a legendary marketing lightning strike with the Tesla Cybertruck as a textbook example. Eddie Yoon is the category design guru to the S &P 500, and he's written more about category design in the Harvard Business Review than anyone else alive or dead. So buckle up for a quick lightning strike of an episode, and hey ho, let's go! Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Concept of a Lightning Strike Let's talk about Lightning Strikes. Lightning Strikes have four critical ingredients: one, it should be profit-center and not an expense. Remember, marketing that does not drive revenue, category potential, or market cap, is just arts and crafts. Lightning Strikes are no different. Two, Lightning Strikes should be a strike and not a spread – meaning don't space it over the whole course of the year; it will just dilute the effect of it that way. You want a clear point in time, a quick in and out in a certain area or market, and you're done. The idea is to get maximum lift without spending too much. Third, it should have a multiplier effect. It must be engineered to generate word of mouth that lasts beyond the strike itself. You do it buy creating a stunt or a fight, or you want to have a very prominent giveaway. These are the things that people tell their friends and family, and spread from there. And lastly, you want to be a hijacker or hitchhiker. You want to your lightning strike to take advantage of some broader thing where you take over the conversation, or piggyback off an audience that is already established. The Cybertruck as a Lightning Strike by Tesla So, how does the Cybertruck fit into all these things? Let's go through the list. First, the Cybertruck is a profit center in multiple ways. One is the product itself, but it also promotes the broader brand of Tesla motors. Lastly, its components are also something that can be a profit center for later generation of electric cars. It also has a multiplier effect, as it has generated word of mouth not only from Tesla car owners, but people who are either at awe or making fun of the Cybertruck's design. Even after it's short showcase, people are still talking about it. The design is so polarizing: you either hate it, or love it. Either way, you're going to hear about it. The Cybertruck itself became the stunt it needed for the lightning strike to occur. Lastly, it's hitchhiking off the launch of Apple Vision Pro, some people who are using Apple Vision Pro has been seen driving said Cybertrucks in videos and social media. It hit its target well that it hitchhiked in the Apple Vision Pro conversation to some extent, getting a rise from Apple enthusiasts. And that, my friends, is a successful lightning strike. If you want to join in the discussion, subscribe to Category Pirates and find more Pirates Perspective buried around the beach. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different  **NEW!** The B2B Tech Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Engineer Your Market, Find What Makes You Different, And Become A Category Queen We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we talk about why marketing the user's problem works, but marketing only your brand/product/solutions doesn't. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Importance of Understanding Consumer Problems in Marketing Market your brand/product/solution, and I think you want my money. Market my problem, and I think you want to help me. This is one of the biggest unlocks in category design for marketers. And it comes from a very simple, powerful notion: people do not buy solutions unless they have problems. Yet a lot of companies do not get this simple concept. For them, it's always brand awareness this, or advertise this product to the “market”. They play the attention game and call it frequency and reach. But most of the users in that market only see it as a cash grab for said company. Marketing the Problem Done Right So here we present a good example of how to market a user problem, and it's in the form of the American jeans we all know and love. Over the years, Jeans have come a long way from being those stiff dark blue pants to now being very soft and somewhat comfortable to wear. But therein lies the problem: the thing that makes it soft and pliable is very polluting and very resource-intensive. After which, they present their fix, a “remaking” of the American jeans as we know it. Framing the Problem to Create Urgency After naming the problem with the jeans, the article continues to explain that multiple companies have tried working together for years to develop jeans that are soft but not as punishing to the environment and our remaining resources. This serves as a way to intensify the problem by framing it as something that has not been solved. But now, they've found a solution. A solution to a problem they themselves proposed. If you follow that flow, they first introduced a problem that a user can relate to, being that the jeans they wear harms the environment. They then mention that other companies have tried but not yet succeeded in finding a solution. Only after that do they supply the solution, so you can continue to enjoy those comfortable jeans without the previous repercussions and guilt on them. Prompting users to buy new jeans and ditching the old. And that's how you market with Category Design. Link to the article on The Remaking of American Jeans  Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different  **NEW!** The B2B Tech Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Engineer Your Market, Find What Makes You Different, And Become A Category Queen We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we enjoy the first of many visits from Al Ramadan in 2024, as we talk about moving from being a Category Contender to a Category King. We'll dig into what is a category contender in what it takes to win the 18-to-36-month epic category battle that every tech startup faces. So if you're an entrepreneur or marketing leader who wants to go beyond competing to actually create and dominate your own market, you're in the right place. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Al Ramadan on Tech Industry Category Development and Dominance Christopher and Al discuss the concept of being category contenders, reflecting on past research and their book on category kings. They emphasize the dominance of one company, earning around 76% of the economics in every tech category, despite skepticism. They outline the three phases of category development: define, develop, and dominate, taking approximately 15 years. They note outliers like open AI and Google's swift battles, contrasting with Salesforce's longstanding dominance. They highlight the importance of category design, likening it to a fast-paced battle where one company wins all, stressing its critical role in the tech industry's landscape. Market strategy in a competitive industry Al and Christopher discuss marketing strategies in a competitive industry, emphasizing the importance of a winner's mindset and setting the agenda. They share a scenario where a leader in a crowded field differentiates by framing the problem uniquely, focusing on end-user needs rather than feature sets like competitors. Both highlight the futility of incremental strategies and the significance of capturing mindshare by empathizing with customer problems. They term this the "Battle Royale" for mindshare, where winning means addressing the core problem effectively, rendering feature comparisons irrelevant. Christopher also stresses the pivotal role of understanding customer problems in securing market dominance. Category design and understanding customer needs Al and Christopher discuss category design and understanding customer needs. They highlight the importance of framing the problem uniquely to differentiate in a crowded market. Christopher shares a scenario where a leader in a competitive field focuses on customer needs while competitors emphasize feature sets. They critique the common focus on technology rather than customer-centric solutions, illustrating with examples from Gartner's history and Google Plus. They emphasize that categories are about customers' problems and opportunities, not just technology, stressing the significance of defining the problem scope to win in category battles. To hear more from this Al Ramadan and Christopher Lochhead dialogue, download and listen to this episode. Bio Al Ramadan is a co-founding partner of Play Bigger Advisors and coauthor of the book, Play Bigger. He also co-founded Quokka Sports, which revolutionized the way people experience sport online. Al then joined Macromedia and Adobe, where he spent almost ten years changing the way people think about great digital experiences. At Adobe, Al led teams that created the Rich Internet Applications category and helped develop the discipline of experience design. In the early ‘90s he applied data science to Australia's Americas Cup — an innovation in sports performance analytics. His work in sailing led directly to the idea for Quokka. He lives in Santa Cruz, California. Links Connect with Al Ramadan! Play Bigger | LinkedIn | Category Contenders | The Science Behind Category Design Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche

Today is a fun conversation with my fellow Pirates Eddie Yoon and Katrina Kirsch, as we talk about the importance of Framing, Naming and Claiming a problem, to create a different solution for your business. From time to time, we drop these video discussions that three of us have in Category Pirates, and this one I thought you might also enjoy. If you do enjoy this kind of content, you can check us out at CategoryPirates.com And subscribe to the Category Pirates newsletter. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Importance of Naming, Framing, and Claiming in Business When asked by Kristina on what “problem” does category design “Name, Frame, and Claim”, Christopher responds that category design solves the fundamental challenge of defining and owning a distinct market space. It asserts that successful companies excel in three areas: creating legendary business models, products/services, and categories. He emphasizes that a company must recognize category design as a crucial third of its success. Eddie reinforces this, highlighting the importance of capturing a significant portion of the market share by framing, naming, and claiming a category. He argues that failing to do so results in competing for a smaller market share, which is familiar but less lucrative. Ultimately, effective category design enables a company to articulate its unique value proposition clearly, ensuring it stands out to customers, investors, and employees. The Value of being an "Exponential Different" in Business The next part of the conversation delves into the concept of being an “exponential difference” in business, emphasizing the contrast between incremental improvements and exponential innovations. Christopher reflects on his career, realizing that focusing on exponential changes often leads to friction within companies geared towards incremental progress. He highlights the importance of recognizing when to contribute to exponential shifts and when to step back, as pushing too hard on exponential change can disrupt the organization. This understanding prompts a shift in perspective, reframing what was once seen as a career obstacle into a strategic advantage. Overall, it underscores the necessity of balancing incremental improvements with exponential innovations for sustainable growth and success in business. If you want to join in the discussion, subscribe to Category Pirates and find more Pirates Perspective buried around the beach. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, let's talk about a trap that most budding Category Designers fall for, and that's thinking about competition. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Feature Battle vs Category Battle Christopher shares a story of a company who consulted with him, regarding a rising competitor in the market. Most companies' knee-jerk reaction would be to compete; take on the same messaging, and muscle out the competitor while it's still early. But in the end, they opted to do the opposite – they did not compete, at least not in the usual sense of it. Rather than doing a Feature Battle to see who has the better additions, messaging, and branding, they focused more on their product. They went the Category Battle route instead, carving out a large portion of the market with their improved category, and leaving the others battling for the remaining scraps. Competition Derangement Syndrome The apparent simplicity of the concept begs the question: why do most companies fail to adopt it? The answer lies in what could be termed "Competition Derangement Syndrome." Many companies, instead of pioneering their own unique category to dominate, fall into a pattern of waiting for new categories to emerge before entering the fray. Alternatively, larger corporations may opt to eliminate competition by acquiring the reigning Category King. However, this strategy essentially involves investing a significant sum to pave the way for the emergence of the next category, which their competitors will inevitably exploit. This cycle repeats itself, with each new category birthing fresh contenders, until the tables turn and the once-acquirer finds itself being acquired. Thus, the cycle perpetuates, underscoring the failure of many companies to break free from the pattern of reactive competition. Competition vs Consumer This does not mean that you avoid competing altogether. We are all driven by our will to fight, and business is not so different in that regard. But rather than going down to their level to fight on “equal” grounds, why not make it so that you are always thinking a few steps ahead, rather than slowing down just to match up to them. And if they seem to be catching up to you at a faster rate, trying to adopt their strategies just means maintaining the status quo. It also sends the wrong message to the consumers, because you are adjusting for the competition, and not for them. In the end, it's better to achieve market dominance by consumer trust rather than just having the competitive edge, because there will always be someone that will try to compete. But as long as your consumers know that your product continues to improve for consumer satisfaction, then it will always remain as the Category King. Bio Christopher Lochhead Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, let's talk about why it's time to stop trying to fit in. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Everyone Wants to Fit In There's an ongoing trend in the business, startup and marketing world of companies trying to fit in. There have been studies that indicate that among the B2B tech space, as many as 70% of the brands are blue. This urge to fit in seems to stem from a combination of several factors. One of which is that companies are trying to compete in the same market, and they end up adopting marketing trends that seems to be working, which just makes them look like carbon copies of each other. The second part is the current culture of people seemingly being offended by the simplest things, or if something does not align with their beliefs. So companies try to be as non-offensive as possible, which in turn just make their brand into something bland. “The overall strategy in people's marketing, and frankly, in many people's careers, is to achieve Marriott lobby status. So what's a Marriott lobby? Marriott lobby is nice; It's very functional. It's effective. And it's bland. It's forgettable. And nobody ever said, “Wow, that was a fucking legendary Marriott lobby.”” - Christopher Lochhead   The Primordial Need to Fit In We get it: people have a primordial urge to stay in groups. We are pack animals, after all. Staying in a group is safe, staying in a group is comfortable. And having something in common lets us relate personally to a group, which is why marketing companies aim for those traits to relate to their market. But at the end of the day, nobody legendary ever fit in. Because when you try to fit in, you become part of that whole, rather than something that defines it. And rather than companies trying to make their own markets and circles, they are being content in staying in the same circle, and competing for an ever-shrinking part of it, as more and more companies try to muscle their way in. So be legendary, and start being different. “And then I say fuck that, I'm going to follow my different. I'm going to focus on the things that are most meaningful to me, and most importantly, are going to make the biggest difference.” - Christopher Lochhead Bio Christopher Lochhead Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

Today on Lochhead on Marketing, we talk about the good way and the bad way to rebrand. And wat better to use as an example than the recent Gemini AI rebrand by Google. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Good Reason to “Rebrand” Before we proceed with the main topic at hand, let's first have a good example of when to “rebrand”. There's a company called Chirp that sells foam rollers, which is used by athletes for training their muscles and easing soreness. But after some time, a new category was invented that was adjacent to their market, the percussion massager / gun. Rather than just create their own version of percussion gun, Chirp went ahead and combined their foam rollers into this new category, essentially making a new category, the rolling percussive massager, for themselves. The Bad Reason to “Rebrand”: Google's Gemini So why did we tell you that story? Because Google is doing the exact opposite of that, always going for the “Compete in the market” model rather than making their own market. And it could be seen with their latest endeavor in AI, Bard now rebranded as Gemini. So, why did Google make this move? While we can't say for certain, we can infer their motives. Essentially, they directly challenged ChatGPT and came up short. Now, they're revamping Bard to give it a "fresh start." While that might be their goal, most marketing experts would tell you that it simply looks like Google is backing away from the competition and trying to repurpose their AI to make the best of the situation. That in itself is a problem, but there's also the fact that Google doesn't really do anything different than the reigning Category King of the market. This has been true with their forays in podcasts, social media, and their other services that are now defunct. They're competing, instead of creating, which is what most companies do, and they're fucked. When to do a “Rebrand” With that said, the best time to do a rebrand is if either you're introducing a brand-new category as your main product, or revolutionizing one of your current ones by making a new category. Rather than chasing after the tail of the Category Leader and competing for the remaining small chunk of the market, why not try doing something different? Because otherwise, you'll just get your ass handed to you, just like what happened with Google Plus, Google Podcasts, and now, the unfortunate Google Gemini. Bio Christopher Lochhead Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we have a very special episode with one of my favorite marketers, Ryan Alford. Ryan Alford runs a digital marketing agency called Radical Marketing. He also has a great marketing podcast that I've been stoked to be a guest on called The Radcast, which is a top 25 Business and Marketing podcast. He's just one of those guys I like talking about marketing with. Today, we are going to talk about how to have a legendary marketing career. We also talk about why it is that many people in Marketing don't view what they do as a craft that they're working on their whole lives, and what happens when you do so. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Ryan Alford on Marketing Careers and Current Industry Trends Christopher and Ryan discuss the appeal of marketing careers, especially for younger individuals. Ryan, with 20 years of experience, emphasizes the importance of creative thinking and adaptation in the face of industry changes like AI. He believes marketing offers opportunities for innovation and creativity, essential for standing out amidst a crowded field. Christopher adds that many marketers don't view their work as a craft, but rather as a job or set of skills, contrasting it with master surfboard shaping. Ryan, drawing on his own experience, sees marketing as a craft that requires honing skills over time, akin to his father's craftsmanship. Both agree that when you love what you do, it doesn't feel like work. Ryan Alford on Marketing Skills and Adapting to Platform Changes The two then discuss the evolving landscape of marketing skills and the need for adaptability. They highlight the importance of curiosity, continuous learning, and embracing change in navigating the industry's shifts. With the proliferation of digital platforms, they emphasize the challenge of staying updated and the risk of relying too heavily on platforms beyond marketers' control. Despite these challenges, they underscore the enduring power of innovative ideas to capture attention and drive success. Christopher also cautions against shallow tactics focused solely on grabbing attention without meaningful content, using the wind feather in car dealerships and mall entrances as an example. They advocate for a balance between leveraging new platforms and maintaining focus on substantive messaging to achieve marketing goals effectively. Ryan Alford on Marketing Strategies and Generating Outcome Christopher and Ryan discuss the importance of marketing strategies producing meaningful outcomes rather than mere attention-grabbing tactics. They emphasize the necessity of tying marketing efforts to revenue generation, highlighting the distinction between visibility campaigns and those that drive sales. Ryan stresses that successful marketers focus on moving consumers from one perception to another, ultimately leading to sales. They acknowledge the controversy surrounding this viewpoint, especially among marketers who resist being held accountable for tangible results. Both agree that marketing is for those who embrace accountability and are committed to producing revenue, with Christopher noting that marketing allows for creative ideation that triggers sales, contrasting with the more direct approach of salesmanship. To hear more from Ryan Alford and learn how to have a legendary career in Marketing, download and listen to this episode. Bio Ryan Alford Links Connect with Ryan Alford! The Radcast | LinkedIn We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

Happy new year to everyone, and we at Lochhead on Marketing hope that you've been having a good one so far. To start off the year, let us talk about the big Distribution Lie, why it is so, and what you really need for your new startup or project to make it big. You see, in Silicon Valley, there has been an ever-increasingly large drumbeat that says the number one thing that a startup needs or that a new software launch of any kind needs is distribution. That if you can only get distribution, then you'd win, right? So, let's test this. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Myth of Distribution as a Key to Success For this discussion, let us use Google as an example. In 2018, Google launched Google Podcast as a competitor to the category king (Apple), and the current challenger (Spotify). On paper, Google Podcast should have the advantage: Google has a legendary distribution line with its 5 billion users and having a mailing and browsing platform that is widely popular worldwide. And yet for some reason, Google Podcast is now at the brink of closing down in 2024. So why did it not beat out the category king, much less its challenger in this race? Building the Category versus Muscling into the Market Simply put, Google Podcast did not offer anything new that Apple Podcast or Spotify doesn't already do. It was simply relying on the fact that on paper, it looks like the better product with a well-established distribution network to back it up. Whereas Apple created the category, designed the space, and solved the “problem” that their product “solves”, thus cornering a big chunk of the market. This is a mistake that happens over and over and over again, category design economics are clear, the company that designs the space is best positioned to dominate it and by dominated our primary research has shown that the company that designs the category, if they can execute over time, earns 76% of the total value created. Doomed to Repeat Itself Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened to Google. One big thing most people might remember is Google Plus, which was supposed to take down Facebook. And not only Google is susceptible to this, as different big tech companies have committed this mistake, because they believe they could just use their better distribution systems to take over a market, rather than creating their own to dominate. So at the end of the day, no matter how good your product is, and how great your distribution advantage is: if you don't design a new category, around a problem that matters to customers, it doesn't matter how legendary your product is. Bio Christopher Lochhead Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

First and foremost, we at Lochhead on Marketing would like to wish everyone from the bottom of our hearts, happy holidays. Christopher Lochhead hopes that you have an opportunity to be with the people you love this time of year, and enjoy some happiness and peace. That said, there seems to be a lot going on lately. Be it about antisemitism, diversity, equality, and inclusion, and sort of the core values that the United States will be governed by and will latch on to. So I wanted to take this time and have a talk between you and I. You may not like what I will have to say, and that is all right. The important thing is that we have a good dialogue between us, and open ourselves to thinking Different does not always mean they hate you and your type of thinking. As we head to 2024, that is my wish for the holiday season. That we have a breakthrough in real, authentic, civilized, thoughtful dialogue. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Christopher Lochhead on LGBTQ+ rights over the years Christopher shared a heartwarming story about a LinkedIn acquaintance, a marketing executive, who recently had a baby with her wife. They had a positive exchange about babies, and Christopher expressed genuine happiness for the couple. “Around here, we think babies are fucking fantastic, especially when they're born to good people who are committed to raising those children and loving knows children. What could be better than a great couple are a great group of folks who have a baby, love that baby, and do everything in their power to provide that child with a great life and enjoy that child. It's wonderful.” – Christopher Lochhead Christopher then reflected on growing up around queer individuals, recalling the challenges they faced over the years. He emphasized the progress in societal acceptance of the queer community, highlighting the positive change that allows people to openly share personal milestones without fear of judgment. That said, Christopher expressed joy for the LinkedIn acquaintance, appreciating that she can legally be herself and share her family news without hesitation, considering it a legendary step forward, especially in the United States. Christopher Lochhead on mortgage discrimination Christopher then talks about a CNN headline that revealed the systemic racism about the Navy Federal Credit Union's discriminatory mortgage approval practices. The report states that while over 75% of white applicants were approved for conventional home purchase mortgages, less than 50% of black applicants were approved under the same circumstances. Christopher condemns this as not just systemic racism but outright evil. He criticizes financial institutions like Wells Fargo for repeatedly facing charges related to racial discrimination without executives facing jail time. He emphasizes the urgent need to acknowledge and fight systemic racism for true equality and justice, citing the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. “This is racism right in front of us. And anybody who's just anybody who cares about equality, and justice, and the pursuit of happiness for all must acknowledge that there is systemic racism against certain groups. There's no doubt about that. And we need to fight it. We really need to fight it.” – Christopher Lochhead On Systemic Racism and DEI in society Christopher expresses concern about the rise of hatred, particularly in the context of recent events, notably the conflict in the Middle East. He highlights the misunderstandings surrounding the October 7th events, emphasizing the severity of the situation and the explicit threat against Israel and the Jewish population. Christopher is dismayed by the confusion and the lack of recognition for Israel's right to defend itself. He shares a personal experience of a friend falling victim to violence and underscores the complexity of the situation,

This week, we're presenting to you Christopher Lochhead's appearance on Lenny's Podcast, hosted by Lenny Rachitsky. Lenny Rachitsky runs the #1 Business Substack newsletter, Lenny's Newsletter. It is legendary especially for people in tech marketing, product marketing, and startups. It's so legendary that even Christopher pays for it. And now, he's in it. This is one of the more in-depth discussions Christopher has had with a very smart person about category design in a while. So settle in for a good listen and great lesson about category design. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. On taking the Good with the Bad Lenny starts off the conversation by showing appreciation to Christopher's extensive work, and jokingly adds that it was challenging to prepare for their conversation due to his numerous podcasts, books, and other content. That said, Lenny noticed Christopher's website displayed negative reviews prominently. When asked about it, Christopher explained his approach with humor, calling his team Category Pirates and embracing criticism. He believed it was essential for innovators not to fear criticism, citing examples of famous artists and musicians who faced initial negativity. Christopher displayed negative feedback to show the reality of creative work and to remind people not to take themselves too seriously. Lenny admired Christopher's ability to handle criticism and expressed the desire to adopt a similar mindset. Lenny Rachitsky on how Lenny's Newsletter came to be Christopher Lochhead expressed admiration for Lenny's branding choices, appreciating the simplicity of just being called "Lenny." He found it endearing and highlighted that Lenny's authenticity stood out in a world where many influencers create an aura of superiority. Lenny shared that the name "Lenny's Newsletter" was a default suggestion from Substack, and he never intended it to be a long-term commitment. Similarly, he struggled to find a different name for his podcast, wanting to avoid a self-centered approach. But despite having his name in the branding, Christopher noted the content wasn't self-centered; instead, it reflected Lenny's genuine approach, unlike influencers who focus on creating envy. They both appreciated the authenticity in Lenny's approach. Lenny Rachitsky and Christopher Lochhead talk Category Creation Lenny asked Christopher about category creation, a concept Christopher has championed over competition in existing markets. Christopher explained how most people aim to compete by offering a better product or service in an existing category. However, legendary innovators don't follow this path. They create entirely new categories, defining unique problems and solutions. Christopher emphasized that a single company in a category usually captures two-thirds of the market value, making category creation a lucrative strategy. He cited Gojo Industries, creators of Purell, as an example. They didn't just invent hand sanitizer; they redefined the problem of hand cleanliness, leading to a new market category. Christopher stressed the importance of focusing on problem-solving rather than just product features, making one's brand irreplaceable in customers' minds. He contrasted this approach with typical marketing, where companies invite comparison, emphasizing the power of radical differentiation and being a category creator. To hear more about Christopher's conversation with Lenny Rachitsky on Category Creation, download and listen to this episode. If you want to learn more about Lenny Rachitsky, check out his Newsletter and Podcast at LennyRachitsky.com. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche

On this episode, let's talk about Israel, and the war that has come to this “Startup Nation”. Off the top, let me say the pain and suffering of what's happening is unbelievable, unbearable. My heart goes out to Israel, all Israelis, and all Jews around the world. I also want to say I have spoken with many Arabs since this happened. There's a very big difference between an Arab or a Palestinian and Hamas. They are not the same thing. My Arab friends wanted to stress that to me. My heart goes out to all the innocent Arabs in Gaza and in the region who are suffering and also experiencing extraordinary pain and loss. Israel is a “Startup Nation” If you've been in tech for a while, you've probably worked with Israelis. For the better part of my professional life, I've worked with entrepreneurs, engineers and executives from the country. The Israeli's I know are smart, tough, driven, no-nonsense result producers. If you want to get big tech shit done, work with Israelis. It has one of the highest concentrations of startups in the world. Its tech sector is a major contributor to the country's economy. Tech is 18% of Israel's GDP, and 14% of all salaried employees work in Tech. That's roughly 500,000 people. On top of which, 50% of Israel's total exports come from Technology developed by these people. The framework Israelis created to co-locate Israel/US tech startups, established an innovation model that is envied the world over. Israel has over 6,000 Tech Companies The impact of this war borne out by the Israeli people. Reports indicate that the start if this war was "the darkest day in Jewish history since the end of the Holocaust.” And, it will also be felt by virtually every major tech company in the world. There are over 6,000 tech companies operating in Israel, including some of the largest names, with Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Intel to name a few. These companies have a variety of strategic operations in Israel, including research and development centers, sales offices, and customer support centers. Israel is home to over 15,000 startups, and they employ over 100,000 people. In 2021, Israeli tech companies raised a record $25.6 billion in venture capital funding. Today, they are scrambling to secure and support their people.   15,000 Israeli Tech Startups Now, this evil war is extracting an unbearable human cost. More death, suffering and disruption is sure to follow. And this war will be felt by many of us in the tech industry. My heart aches for Israel. My heart aches for all of the innocent souls in the Middle East. We're praying for peace, and the day we can all get back to building legendary companies. To hear more of Christopher Lochhead's thoughts on the recent events that unfolded in Israel, download and listen to this episode. If you wish to join the conversation and get more information on the matter, check out Christopher's post on LinkedIn: Christopher Lochhead Different: Weekly Newsletter We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we are presenting some Pirates Perspective from our newsletter, Category Pirates about consumer spending trends. Eddie Yoon, Christopher Lochhead and Katrina Kirsch of Category Pirates discuss the latest consumer spending reports and what they mean for the retail category and retail category queens. They also dive into a category opportunity for McDonalds and how it could impact the future of food delivery. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Changing Retail Landscape Eddie Yoon examines the evolving economic landscape and its impact on U.S. consumers. Employing a Category Science lens, Eddie highlights significant disparities in economic indicators. Disposable personal income in July saw a mere 0.15% uptick, the year's lowest, while personal consumption expenditures (PCE) surged by 0.82%, marking a 2023 high. This income-spending disconnect raises concerns. Eddie notes the imminent return of student loan payments, averaging $503 per month, which may strain disposable income. Loan delinquencies, nearing 2020 levels, signal financial challenges. Notably, a fourfold increase in young adults aged 25 to 34 living with parents since the 1960s reflects economic constraints driving lifestyle changes. Prompted by Christopher, Eddie also identifies two contrasting trends: robust growth in experiences and personal transformations versus declining interest in traditional goods. While international travel and categories like medical aesthetics flourish, traditional retailers like Target, Kroger, and Home Depot report declining revenues. Eddie predicts a future marked by consolidation and M&A, with only a select few brands and private labels surviving. Navigating the Shifting Consumer-Driven Economy Christopher Lochhead and Eddie Yoon then tackle the intriguing dual signals in the economy, driven by increasing digital influence on consumer behavior. On one hand, positive indicators suggest the American consumer remains a key economic driver, with retail sales growing by 0.6% in August and a forecasted real GDP growth of 3.5% for the third quarter. However, Eddie Yoon emphasizes the underlying shifts: Consumers are driving economic growth through increased credit spending, but it raises questions about sustainability. Many are making significant changes in their financial habits, including declining college enrollments, reduced home purchases, and a lower birth rate, all contributing to a redefined economic landscape. The trend toward single-person households, now at 29%, signifies a fundamental shift in the traditional nuclear household model. While the macroeconomic picture may still appear positive, these changes point to a significant remaking of the American economy, shaped by evolving consumer preferences influenced by digital transformations. McDonald's Dilemma Christopher and Eddie then discuss McDonald's recent announcement to phase out fountain drinks inside their stores by 2032, which highlights a significant shift in consumer behavior. Currently, 40% of their revenue is generated through app purchases, delivery, and drive-thru, indicating a decline in physical store visits. This trend reflects the changing preferences of Native Digitals, who prefer digital-first experiences and the conveniences they bring. As consumers become more discerning and value experiences over material possessions, businesses need to adapt to these mega trends. Eddie Yoon points out that while some trends are favorable, like digital and app-focused sales, the shift in product mix poses challenges. McDonald's heavily relies on the profitability of fountain drinks, which drive a substantial portion of their margins. However, the convenience of home beverages and changing consumer preferences may lead to a decline in the sale of large-size drinks at McDonald's,

On this episode, we have a powerful dialogue with our guest, Josh Greene about what it really takes to build your reputation online and do legendary marketing in the digital world. Josh Greene is the CEO of The Mather Group. In a world of digital marketing BS, sophomores hacks and self-congratulatory vanity metrics, Josh is the real deal. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Josh Greene on Marketing and Reputation Management The episode starts off with a discussion about marketing trends and reputation management with Josh Greene. They touch upon the impact of AI on marketing strategies and delve into reputation management techniques. Christopher highlights how individuals with negative reputations try to bury their past misdeeds in online search results. Josh explains that reputation management involves manipulating search engine rankings to push down negative content and make it less visible, while at the same time providing more positive information about you or your company. They also touch on the evolving landscape of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), with Josh emphasizing that SEO is not dead but constantly changing. He notes that traditional SEO tactics, such as keyword optimization, have evolved due to changes in Google's algorithms and the increasing importance of AI-driven queries. Josh Greene on what is the Internet thinking about you They also discuss the topic of the evolving landscape of SEO and the impact of AI, particularly in large language models like ChatGPT and Bard. As mentioned earlier, Josh highlights how SEO has evolved beyond optimizing for Google to also include considerations for AI-driven queries. He then emphasizes the importance of managing one's online reputation in this context. On the topic of AI, Christopher shares his experience with ChatGPT, mentioning how it produced relevant results related to category design, which led him to ponder the connection between AI training data, the internet's content, and these AI models' abilities to provide meaningful information. He also mentions that experts in various fields, including category design, are actively teaching AI models to enhance their understanding and capabilities. Josh Green on how to stand out from the crowd They then discuss how to stand out in the digital landscape, particularly in the context of AI and SEO. Josh explains that AI models like those used by Google rely on credible sources, with Wikipedia and Google's patent tool being primary sources. He emphasizes that credibility, links, and signals play a significant role in determining the relevance of content for AI models. Much like in SEO, authoritative content with strong signals will have a more substantial impact. Christopher adds that AI is evolving similarly to SEO and mentions that some individuals are already trying to exploit AI for personal gain by selling courses on how to manipulate AI models. He highlights the importance of providing valuable content to help people rather than merely trying to stay ahead of trends or exploit emerging technologies. They both agree that the key to success in the digital age, whether in AI or SEO, is delivering valuable content and expertise to genuinely assist others rather than chasing quick fixes or trends promoted by self-proclaimed gurus. They also note that having a real impact requires substance and credibility, not just buzzwords. To hear more from Josh Greene and on how you can build your online reputation, download and listen to this episode. Bio Josh Greene Links Connect with Josh Greene! The Mather Group | LinkedIn We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, let's take a look on what the movie Barbie did to reach such an overwhelming success, and what Tech CEOs can learn about their approach to marketing. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Barbie's Approach to Marketing Christopher Lochhead opens up the dialogue with pointing out the things that the Barbie producers did that made it a blockbuster win, particularly with what they did on the marketing side. According to Christopher, Barbie pulled off the greatest “lightning strike” framework of any brand in 2023. One of the notable things that stood out was that Barbie spent $145M on producing the film, while spending almost $150M on marketing. Let that sink in: $145M to make it, $150M to build it up. Most companies would consider it outrageous to do such a thing, opting to focus their resources on building the product and spending what's left on marketing, if any. And this is why most of those companies fail to make a mark and carve out a market early on in their product's lifecycle. How about Barbie? Well, it spent a combined $295M, but that marketing approach resulted in $1B in sales. $145M to make it, $150M to build. $1B in revenue. Barbie's Missed Opportunity That said, Christopher did point out a few missed avenues that Barbie could've made to take advantage of their marketing strategy. For one thing, they left the digital space widely untapped, spawning newsletters and enticing new generations of girls to getting into collecting Barbies and other related merchandise. Another thing they could've done is get older fans together and start building out a community in the digital sphere and talk all things Barbie. Not only does it heavily hit people in their nostalgia, but it can also help expose those older generation's children into Barbie, and then you are back to point no. 1. The Recession that Never Came One of the things that Christopher also noticed with Barbie's approach is that people are still bracing for a recession that seemingly never came, or at least was not as full-blown as we were expecting it to be. While everyone else was still timidly testing the waters, Barbie decided it would make a big splash instead. So for Tech CEOs out there, it may not be the time to be holding down the fort. Rather, it should be a good time to try and hurl some lightning strikes in the market and see if you strike gold. To hear more about Christopher Lochhead's views on Barbie's success and how it can teach tech CEOS about marketing, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we are presenting some Pirates Perspective from our newsletter, Category Pirates. Eddie Yoon, Christopher Lochhead and Katrina Kirsch of Category Pirates discuss Elon Musk's recent move to rebrand Twitter to X. They also speculate why Elon made such a move, and what he could have done from a category design perspective. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Twitter to X Elon Musk's choice to rename Twitter as X has left people puzzled, questioning why he would give up a well-known brand and introduce a new one. Katrina follows up that the others think the move might be aimed at entering a different category, possibly related to financing. She wonders whether it would have been wiser to create a new company instead of rebranding Twitter. Eddie Yoon discusses the debate surrounding the cost of rebranding and the value of legacy brand identity. He highlights that classic economic theory suggests ignoring sunk costs, which are expenses from the past, and instead focusing on future opportunities. Eddie mentions that while some argue against rebranding due to the value of Twitter's legacy brand, most consumers prioritize what a brand can offer them in the future rather than its past reputation. He suggests that rebranding can make sense when a company wants to enter new categories and emphasizes the importance of looking towards future opportunities rather than dwelling on the past. In Musk's case, he's not banking on the legacy of the brand itself, but the established userbase that Twitter has, who have a high potential of also buying in to what new category Twitter, now X, might become. Elon Musk's Mistake with the rebrand While Christopher Lochhead agrees with Eddie Yoon's points, he also believes that Elon Musk made a mistake by rebranding Twitter without clearly unveiling his vision for the new category of service he wants to create. He argues that a rebrand should be part of a strategic launch of a new category and not just a standalone action. The value of a brand lies in its perceived leadership in a relevant category, and in this case, the microblogging category may not be as impactful as before. Although Elon Musk's approach might not align with the ideal category design strategy, his reputation and influence will likely still garner attention when he eventually presents his big vision for the new category. But it definitely will lose some steam because the rebrand has become open to interpretation, rather than being focused on the intended category creation. X as a financial category The three further discuss the possibility of X creating a new currency or incorporating cryptocurrencies into its platform. Eddie mentions that X is already experiencing a shift in money flow, with revenue coming from both advertisers and users. They also speculate that Elon Musk might have plans to introduce financial services or a new token (X token) on Twitter/X, incentivizing creators and potentially offering various payment options, including cryptocurrency. They compare this potential move to American Airlines' frequent flyer program, which essentially created a currency in the form of loyalty points. While they acknowledge they don't have insider information, they highlight that Musk's background with PayPal and his desire to make X a vital part of everyone's life might lead to interesting developments. To hear more about the discussion on what Elon plans to do with X, download and listen to this episode. If you want to join in to the discussion, subscribe to Category Pirates and find more Pirates Perspective buried around the beach. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche

On this episode, we welcome Mike Bruno, Senior Category Designer at Play Bigger. Today, we dig into what it takes to make Category Design your career, and how incredible it is working with some of the most advanced technology companies in the world on category design. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind.   Mike Bruno and his first year as a Category Designer Mike, who has been a category designer for about a year and a half, started his career working in agencies and social advertising. Transitioning into category design was a return to a beginner mindset for him, which he found interesting. In his previous role, he helped people solve problems and develop strategies based on business objectives and existing products. This experience translated well to category design, where the front door is identifying the problem that the category solves uniquely. Mike also mentioned that category design involves many new concepts and a broader aperture, as it requires structuring not only the client's business but also influencing the entire market. While it was a humbling experience trying to figure it all out, he also had a sense of familiarity, knowing how to approach problems and strategize effectively. Overall, his first year as a category designer was challenging and exciting, with a mix of the familiar and the new, which kept him engaged and interested in the field.   The way people think about Category Design Christopher and Mike discuss the challenges of transitioning from traditional marketing to category design. They emphasize that category design involves creating new markets rather than catching existing demand. Mike points out that realizing someone invented categories was a facepalm moment for him, but it made him realize the importance of solving unsolved problems. Christopher and Mike also talked about the power of not doing anything, meaning finding a category that has already been solved, and how this is often underestimated in the business world. They use Apple's example of launching a new category called "spatial computing" instead of just a new product like most marketers do. They compare it to Magic Leap, which failed to create a category despite having inspiring visions. Mike believes Apple succeeded because they could bridge the gap between their vision and the technology needed to achieve it.   Mike Bruno on the Difference between Category Design and Product Design Christopher and Mike discuss the difference between launching a product and category designing a market category. They use the example of Magic Leap, which had a product but failed to category design the spatial computing market. Christopher explains that category design involves framing, naming, and claiming a new problem, creating an ecosystem of partners to solve that problem, and evangelizing the solution. Mike shares his surprise about the comprehensive nature of category design, realizing that it's not just about coming up with a new term but involves a rigorous process to make the category successful. They also mention Apple's success in category designing the spatial computing market, positioning themselves for significant market cap growth while other players who only launched products may miss out on the opportunity. To hear more from Mike Bruno and his experiences as a Category Designer, download and listen to this episode.   Bio Mike Bruno Mike is a Senior Category Designer with a background in psychology and communications strategy. He finds hidden problems and unspoken truths, and connects those with companies, brands and products to drive businesses and, importantly, the people they serve. Mike's style of Category Design is simple, straightforward and playful. His work is equally influenced by the behavioral sciences, business theory and imagination. Carl Jung on one shoulder, and Dav Pilkey on the other.

On this episode, we are presenting some Pirates Perspective from our newsletter, Category Pirates. Eddie Yoon, Christopher Lochhead and Katrina Kirsch of Category Pirates discuss why it's crucial to frame, name, and claim a problem when designing a category and marketing it to customers. They also discuss why companies struggle to articulate their problems, and explain what happens if they fail to properly language it. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The three most important things a company does at the highest levels When asked about the problem that category design solves, Christopher emphasizes three key aspects. Firstly, it is important to believe that there are three crucial elements for a successful company: designing a legendary company/business model, offering legendary products/services, and creating a legendary category. These three aspects are considered the most important things a company does. If someone does not agree with this belief, he thinks that there is no basis for further discussion. Secondly, it is necessary to acknowledge the significance of taking ownership and authorship of the category. If someone is willing to assume this responsibility, then assistance can be provided. However, if they are not interested in this aspect, there is no intention to convince or persuade them. “That's the difference between you walking in the dojo and us standing outside the dojo and dragging you into it.” – Christopher Lochhead Would you rather capture the 76% or compete for the 24%? Eddie Yoon emphasizes the importance of category design in capturing the market. He argues that if one does not recognize the significance of category design, then other considerations become irrelevant. If it is agreed that category design is important, it must be acknowledged that it should be pursued wholeheartedly. Eddie suggests that the question of why naming, framing, and claiming are important is essentially a question about the importance of category design itself. He states that if one does not understand the essence of category design, they cannot effectively address the first question. He presents a scenario where capturing 76% of the category economics is compared to competing for the remaining 24% with a better or faster, cheaper version. Eddie suggests that many people are actually comfortable with the smaller percentage because it is familiar and known. However, if someone is content with competing for the smaller share, Eddie acknowledges their choice and states that traditional business strategies and teachings will suffice for that situation. Ultimately, Eddie highlights the importance of understanding one's preference for a larger or smaller market share and reframing the perspective accordingly. Unlearning the 24% way Eddie Yoon discusses the necessity of unlearning old and "comfortable" ways in order to capture the 76% of the market. He emphasizes that choosing to pursue the larger market share requires a significant amount of unlearning. Part of this unlearning process involves freeing oneself to focus on understanding and articulating the problem at hand. Eddie compares it to Mark Twain's quote about not having time to write a short letter, which highlights the importance of concise and effective communication. Framing, naming, and claiming the problem are essential because without the ability to express it clearly, important details can be lost in subsequent conversations with coworkers, investors, or customers. This loss of clarity can lead to a diluted understanding of the value proposition. Eddie explains that without a clear understanding of the problem and its articulation, customers may not perceive the worth or premium of the product or service, investors may question the multiple premiums, and employees may not see the value of choosing the company over competitors focusing on...

On this episode, we are presenting some Pirates Perspective from our newsletter, Category Pirates. Eddie Yoon, Christopher Lochhead and Katrina Kirsch of Category Pirates discuss why some companies ship products, but very few companies category design markets. They explain this through the lens of Apple's new Vision Pro spatial computing headset in talk about why Apple's approach is different. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Apple has always been Category First, Product Second Katrina Kirsch starts off the conversation with how a lot of companies tend to put out products, and not focus on creating a category for them first. Apple seems to be the biggest contrary to this statement, as it has always been a category-driven company rather than product driven. Eddie Yoon agrees with this, and adds that Apple has never been one to create a product first, or a first-mover. Even going as far as the first Mac, there have been personal computers before it, but Apple sold people to a whole new experience by creating a category around personal computers and having an interface that's both intuitive and easy to get into. Copying vs Innovating Following up to this, there are those who say that Apple is just copying ideas from its competitors and adding their own quirk to it. But if you look at this deeper, Apple is just really good at finding different uses for existing products in the market, something that those who made it first didn't even consider as a function. Take for example what Apple is doing to the Vision Pro right now, which was discussed by Christopher in the previous Lochhead on Marketing episode (LOM 178). The main difference with how Google and other virtual headset devices marketed themselves versus the clear-cut presentation and demonstration by Apple is just miles apart. It doesn't just look like a proof of concept that people can experiment on: Apple clearly tells you, “This is what you can do with it, and what other things you can add on later.” Apple is attacking the "tyranny of the screen” Christopher then explains that a lot of people misunderstood Apple's point of attack in launching the Vision Pro. As product-centric companies and businesses, they think Apple is attacking other products like the Oculus and other VR headsets. When in reality, Apple is aiming for something else. As Eddie Yoon puts it, Apple is attacking the tyranny of the screen. The concept that we have to get bigger screens when we want better entertainment value, or that we have to be tied down to a certain place when doing work because your display cannot move with you. The other misconception is that people say Apple did not invent spatial computing. That it has been there this whole time in other products. And that's true. But they are one of the first to adopt it to a question that only spatial computing can solve, and not just push out a product to see what people will do to it. This gives Apple app developers a range that they can work with; a clear scope and limitation so they don't overshoot their promises, but at the same time push the boundaries of what can be done with it. To hear more about these Pirates Perspectives, download and listen to this episode. And if you like to hear more Pirates Perspectives, you can find it and other buried treasures when you subscribe to our Category Pirates newsletter. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him,

Apple announced some powerful new stuff at their Worldwide Developer Conference. And, as usual, many people in the business press, Twitter, and in Silicon Valley didn't see what happened in plain sight. So here we are again, explaining why this new category is different from the other virtual and reality augmentation devices out there, and why it is important. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Don't just launch products, launch categories Let me put it to you this way. Google launches products, aka Google Glass. Facebook, launches products, aka Oculus. Meanwhile, Apple does Category Design. It's fascinating to us that category design hides in plain sight. Because what most people got wrong is they think that Apple introduced a product called Vision Pro. And yes, of course, they did that. But they did not make the same mistake that Google and Facebook made, which is they just launch products; Apple designs categories. And they tell you that's exactly what they're doing. Press Release for Apple Vision Pro Here's the headline: introducing Apple Vision Pro, Apple's first spatial computer. And what you have is the new product and brand Apple vision Pro. And they tell you what it is. It's a spatial computer. It's not a VR/AR headset. It's not some kind of other variety – It's a spatial computer. And if you go on to read the press release, what you'll discover is that Tim Cook's quote sums the whole thing up. “Today marks the beginning of a new era for computing,” said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. Just as the Mac introduced us to personal computing, and iPhone introduced us to mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro introduces us to spatial computing. And that, my friends, is the difference between marketing a category and just a product. Creating a new computing platform And this is what most people miss. And the reason they did it at their worldwide developer conference, is because they want the vision pro spatial computer to become a new compute platform. Just like the iPhone became a new compute platform, the personal computer became a new compute platform. That's what they're doing here. The iPad, etc. became a new platform, a new category of technology, not just a product that they gave to people. Launching a product without a category is like a loose cannon When Google launched Google Glass, they launched a product, they never articulated a problem that that product solved. They never evangelized a different future with that product. What they did was show a bunch of features. And because they didn't provide the strategic context for understanding of what the product was, aka category, they left it up to customers and the media to decide. Google Glass Demo Well, what happened? If you don't control your own category narrative, somebody else will. And so what emerged about Google Glass? Well, number one, because they did the launch in Silicon Valley, the people who used it immediately got the nickname of “glass-holes”, because it was rich assholes using Google Glass and beta and early release driving around in their Tesla's and the like, that sort of drew the ire of much of the world. To hear more on what Apple did right with the launch of their new category, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006,

On this episode, we are presenting some Pirates Perspective from our newsletter, Category Pirates. Eddie Yoon and Christopher Lochhead of Category Pirates answer questions about how important it is to create a category name that resonates with people—and that is similar enough to everyday language. Languaging takes thinking, but it's worth getting right. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The importance of a Category Name entering the mainstream The first topic comes from a question about the importance of having a category name, and how important it is to be relevant enough to be used in everyday speech and lingo. Eddie points out that it is every important and a great deal to have one's category name be something recognized by the public, particularly the target consumers, while striking a balance of being unique and different from the rest. An example he gives is Starbucks, which is in the “Dessert Coffee” business. While they might not outright say that they are in such as business, how they portray their products is perceived by consumers as such. And they capture that particular market by Languaging, creating something new like the Frappuccino. Having your Category Name make a mark in people's minds Continuing along that line of thought, Eddie Yoon emphasizes that it is not only important to create something new, but it is also important that people find it relevant and want to engage with your product or service. Going to the example of Starbucks again, people have had coffee before, but they have not had dessert coffee. And say what you will, Frappuccino is essential a liquid sugar bomb in a cup, which a lot of people find more interesting than your regular latte or cappuccino. And where can you buy this Frappuccino? That's right, Starbucks. Nowadays, there are numerous coffee shops that use the term, but whenever one thinks of Frappuccino, Starbucks is one of the first things that come to mind. And that is how you make a mark in people's minds. Combining Ideas to make a new innovative Category Idea Christopher Lochhead then brings up the topic of combining two or three ideas to make a new Category Idea. Sometimes, those ideas can even clash with each other individual, but makes sense when you combine them. An example of this was Sun Microsystems, which went all-in for networking earlier than everyone else. While people are still using their computers as standalone units in business, Sun Microsystems have been selling servers and advocated for business to build a network for their office PCs. They even have their own networking software called Solaris. So while the business people in the 90's finally had their delayed A-ha! moment, Sun Microsystems have already carved up a sizable chunk of the market for themselves. To hear more about these Pirates Perspectives, download and listen to this episode. And if you like to hear more Pirates Perspectives, you can find it and other buried treasures when you subscribe to our Category Pirates newsletter. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we have a dialogue with Mike Maples Jr. on how artificial intelligence is changing startups and venture capital. Mike Maples Jr. is the co-founder of Floodgate, one of the highest profile early stage venture capitalists. He also has a podcast called Starting Greatness, and it is one of my absolute favorites. By the end of it, we hope that you'll gain a new way to think about both technical risk for startups and market risk. And why in an AI world, you must either be radically different or radically disintermediate something. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Mike Maples Jr. on AI We begin the discussion on the topic of challenges of making sense of the rapidly evolving field of AI. Mike also talks about the traditional funding model of startups, where the primary focus was taking out technical risk, and how the LAMP stack, which commoditized what was once expensive, made it easier to start a startup. Mike notes that the nature of the LAMP stack changed what startups were funded for. “What I like to say is that the LAMP stack was deflationary in terms of the cost of starting startup. And so what does that mean? It meant that what you were funding was different, because if Kevin Rose can start dig for $1,500, over a weekend, there's no technical risks there. I mean, he hired a contractor to do it that he didn't even know at the time.” – Mike Maples Jr. Who gets Product Market Fit first The conversation then moves on to the changing dynamics of venture capital investment. The discussion continues with the notion that technical risk and market risk are inversely related. Solving a technically difficult problem that is valuable to society will create a market; if the problem is easy to solve technically, it will all come down to who achieves product-market fit first. To add value to the business, Floodgate and YC have taken the approach of funding market risk takedown. As technology becomes more commoditized and innovations become more accessible, the person who creates something people want the quickest wins. This is why YC was so successful: it offered young people $100,000 to either take market risks or leave. He also mentions that the traditional venture capital model may not be appropriate for all businesses and that deflationary factors such as content, code, and data may change the way businesses are built. Mike Maples Jr. on AI and the future of Venture Capital Mike Maples Jr. then returns to the topic of artificial intelligence and its implications for the future of venture capital. Here, Mike emphasizes two ends of the risk spectrum: high technical risk and high market risk. On the one hand, some projects require large amounts of funding for mass computation in order to build massive models that have the potential to change humanity. On the other hand, AI is being used in a variety of fields, including content generation for marketing, customer service chatbots, and lead generation, resulting in a deflationary effect on content, code, and data. According to Mike, some businesses may not require traditional venture capital funding and should instead focus on achieving $50 million in revenue with a small team and minimal funding. There is also speculation that the current billion-dollar funds may be providing the wrong incentives to these companies. To hear more from Mike Maples Jr. and how AI can affect the future of startups and venture capital, download and listen to this episode. Bio Mike Maples Jr. is an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. He's co-founder of Silicon Valley based, early-stage VC Floodgate. And the host of the popular “Starting Greatness” podcast. Investments include Twitter, Lyft, Bazaarvoice, Sparefoot, Ayasdi, Xamarin, Doubledutch, Twitch.tv, Playdom, Chegg, Demandforce, Rappi, Smule, and Outreach. Link

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, myself and Eddie Yun, co-founder & co-creator of Category Pirates, tackle what's going on with what Elon Musk is now doing at Twitter; specifically, the move to charging people for their Validation Verification– once coveted, now purchasable – Blue Checkmarks. This is part of a new thing we're doing with our Category Pirates newsletter called Pirate Perspectives. So if you are interested and haven't subscribed to Category Pirates yet, now's the best time to check it out. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Twitter removes the Blue Check. Kinda. The conversation starts with Christopher and Eddie Yoon discussing Twitter's recent decision to remove Legacy Blue Checkmarks and only allowing verified accounts for those who pay. Eddie argues that this move is a step towards aligning Twitter's incentives with its users by making them pay for the service rather than monetizing their data through an advertising model. However, he suggests that Twitter could offer a tiered pricing structure to accommodate different budgets. The two acknowledge that this move has caused a lot of controversy, with some users upset about losing their Legacy Blue checkmarks, while some are given Blue checkmarks even though they didn't ask for one. Christopher mentions that Elon Musk paid for verified accounts for Stephen King, LeBron James, and others, and they are angry about the change given their prior stance about it. Elon Musk and the missed opportunity with repurposing the blue checkmark Christopher and Eddie then talk about the recent decision by Twitter to remove the blue checkmark verification for some users. Christopher mentions that he appreciates the verification process before because it helps him identify real people on the platform. They also discuss the success of OpenAI's GPT chat and the importance of delivering a valuable user experience. Eddie agrees and mentions that incentivizing creators can improve the overall ecosystem by improving content and reducing fraud. They agree that Elon Musk and Twitter missed an opportunity to position the repurposing of blue checkmarks as an improvement to the user experience rather than a takeaway. To hear more about these category pirates' hot takes on what is happening to Twitter and the social media space, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

This Lochhead on Marketing episode is a short one, almost like a bedtime story with Uncle Lochhead. I recently did a post on LinkedIn that blew up in a way that I didn't quite expect. It was meant to be a humorous post about Marketing, but it seems to have cut quite deep in some, and others found it relatable. I thought it would be fun to read to you so we could share a few chuckles about it. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Conversation CFO to CMO: “Our revenue is going down, so we must cut your marketing budget” CMO: "I'm confused, Marketing is how we drive revenue?” CFO: “The macro environment is tough and we need to cut costs.” CMO: “But, Marketing is how we drive revenue?” CFO: “Yes, but Marketing is the fastest and easiest way to cut costs!” CMO: “But, if we need revenue, don't we need Marketing more than ever?” CFO: “Not sure what they're teaching today at Marketing MBA school, but we're cutting your Marketing budget 30%.” CMO: “OK, so when revenue goes down, the best strategy is cut Marketing?” CFO: “YES! I believe you've got it!” To check out how people reacted and responded to this “conversation”, check out the post on LinkedIn. If you like this and are interested in joining different business and marketing conversations, join us at Category Pirates today! Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

Pirate Lochhead is sailing the seven seas this week, so we're dropping a legendary conversation that he had recently with Mike Maples Jr. and Ann Miura on the Starting Greatness Podcast. They discuss the recent SVB bank run that lead to a variety of situations and accusations by “experts” on social media. They also discuss what lessons a Founder can learn by studying the cause and effect of such crisis and circumstances. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. How a crisis can make us better Mike opens up the discussion by stating that while crisis is something we do not wish to happen on anyone, it can be a valuable source of information and introspection on what Founders can improve upon within their own companies and organizations. No one saw it coming Ann Miura shares that the SVB bank run has caught her completely unawares, as did most of the companies in Silicon Valley. Even those who had their teams monitoring SVB activities only caught wind of the situation a day or two before it happened, and by then it was already too late even for them. The Difference between the Public and the Founders Ann also observed that while people on social media and the news media are shouting doomsday scenarios and blaming each other over the situation, the Founders that she was working with at Floodgate had their head down and was busy finding ways to mitigate the situation, and looking at possible scenarios to move forward, should the SVB run not get resolved in the near future. It showed a stark contrast on how the mind of a Founder operates in crisis situations, and it should be something that a lot of business leaders should emulate if they themselves suffer through a sudden situation that needed their immediate focus and levelheadedness. To hear more from Mike Maples Jr. Ann Miura, and the Pirate Lochhead himself, download and listen to this episode. Check out more Starting Greatness episodes! Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

There is a fundamental tectonic change happening in the way work gets done – White Collar knowledge work to be specific. This new technology is creating a new category of worker beyond what has been the sort of top of the pyramid, the Knowledge Workers. There's a new layer above the Knowledge Worker emerging called the Creator Capitalist – someone who gets paid not simply to apply knowledge, but to create it. And that's because the value of existing knowledge is dropping exponentially every day with the emergence of AI. Today, let's talk about how this is already becoming a radically different future right in front of our eyes, powered by chatGPT. What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is the fastest growing application or website in the history of humanity by quite a lot. And while there are users that only see it as a minor amusement at the moment, people have been heavily using it for their jobs and businesses already. There are entrepreneurs, writers and other related enterprises that use it to write newsletters, blog posts, and even outlines for book ideas. Of course, you don't just put it the prompt and take the ChatGPT output as it is. While it is doing a pretty good job, even with niche-y things, there's still room for improvement, as well as giving it the old human touch. But the biggest thing here is, it saves people time. Time that could be better spent on improving other aspects of your business. How ChatGPT can innovate your craft In  terms of creating content, whether it be an blog article, newsletter, or marketing content, there is so many ways you can take advantage of this technology. As mentioned earlier, you can use it to write first drafts to flesh out an idea you have and refine it afterwards to make it more unique and correct stuff that seem off-point to what you had in mind. You can also use in something as simple as improving the readability and format of the thing you've already written beforehand. You can even use ChatGPT to learn new things before creating your content by providing it with sources and different templates on which to base the content you intend to create later. The AI is as smart as you make it to be While the AI has a lot of capabilities that it can do, it all still boils down to how we use it. An example would be the prompts that we give ChatGPT to execute. Being too vague or general with your prompts can yield confusing and subpar results, as multiple users have observed. So it is best to do some research from prompt engineers on how to maximize the results of your requests to the AI, so you'll get the best quality of content or feedback all the time. To learn more on how you can use ChatGPT and other AI technology to create content and code, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. Don't forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:  Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One  The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche  A Marketer's Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy

Pirate Lochhead is sailing the seven seas this week, so we're dropping a legendary conversation that he had recently with Anna Furmanov on the Modern Startup Marketing podcast. They discuss creative marketing category design, guns, human composting and more. Yes, human composting. Just… listen, trust me. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. What does “Creative” mean to you? The conversation starts off with Anna asking for Christopher's definition on being a creative. Christopher shares that in order to consider something as being “creative”, it has to be something new. “Being creative is bringing into being something that did not exist. You can take an existing thing and innovate on top of it and create something new. But at the end of whatever the creative process is, it yields a new creation. And sometimes that's a doodle on a page. And sometimes it's a new piece of code. There's lots of different acts of creation that bring new things into the world. But fundamentally, I think creation is about exactly that.” – Christopher Lochhead On when you feel the most creative Continuing on the topic of creativity, Anna asks when Christopher felt the most creative, whether its on a specific project, a certain period of time, or something else entirely. “So for me, creativity, really at a high level, comes in two ways. One is just pure inspiration. Right – you're out on a walk, you're washing the dishes, you're in the shower, your whatever it is you're doing, an idea comes into your head. Because I'm a writer, I get sentences delivered to my head, and/or power ideas hiding in paragraphs. And then I'll have to immediately get to a piece of paper or my iPhone and write that shit down. That can happen anytime, all the time. My wife will see me running across the house to grab a pen or to grab my phone and start talking to it, so I don't forget the idea.” – Christopher Lochhead Thinking about thinking One of the things Christopher pointed about how people perceive thinking is that they misconstrue having thoughts as “thinking”. Having thoughts just means an idea or a thought that pops in your head, without much effort put into it, almost like a kneejerk reaction. Thinking, on the other hand, is actually taking that thought and processing it. It's the suspension of that immediate and reflexive thought that one can really get into deeper details of the topic, and even find out why it elicited that sort of reaction from you and other people around you. To hear more from Christopher Lochhead and his conversation with Anna Furmanov on the Modern Startup Marketing Podcast, download and listen to this episode. Check out more Modern Startup Marketing Podcast episodes! Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

It's been a crazy handful of days in Silicon Valley. But now that the federal government has made their announcements and has the ball rolling, I wanted to spend a few minutes with you just clarifying some things that seem to be creating confusion in the recent Silicon Valley Bank situation. There seems to be more confusion about what just happened with the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and what the federal government just did as there was about COVID. So let me see if I can break this down for all of you. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. There is no Bank Bailout for the Silicon Valley Bank Let me say that again: there was no bank bailout here. The executives got fired. None of the investors, creditors, nobody doing business with the bank, in that sense, are getting any of their money back, particularly the investors in the board. The Silicon Valley Bank is gone. The Effect on the US Finance The President has said that this will not cost taxpayers' money. You may choose to believe it or not, but that is the current position of the government on the matter. What they're saying is if there's any protection money required, it will come from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC is an insurance company managed by the federal government, which is paid for by Wall Street and the banks. They pay insurance fees to the FDIC for drastic instances such as these. Making that point clear as soon as possible was a good move by the federal government, because if they have wavered in their decision to do so, twisted narratives about bank bailouts and conjuring the past instances of it happening would have been a bad blow to the US government's image. The Silicon Valley Bank Depositors will get their money back White there's no direct timetable for when the depositors can get their full funds back, the federal government, via the FDIC, came in and said that they will make sure that the people will get 100% of their money back. Here's where most of the confusion lie at the moment, because there are some who spin the narrative like this resembles the recent FTX crash. But unlike the FTX crash where the money is in large parts gone, the Silicon Valley Bank's money is still there. The main issue at the moment is that there were some horrendous mistakes in investing the money, which caused it to be stuck and become inaccessible at the moment. So when a bank run happened, they didn't have enough cash. And that's what caused this. But the money is still there, unless we learn otherwise after the ongoing investigations. To hear more updates and suggestions on how Silicon Valley, the federal government, and the FDIC can prevent such a crisis from happening again, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

Silicon Valley Bank's collapse went off like a bomb on March 10th 2023. And I want to reach out to you and essentially share with you the conversations that I've been having with many friends, many entrepreneurs, many VCs, in the last 24 hours or so. That said, let's talk about what's really going on; specifically, what the media talking heads and idiot, ‘thought leaders' on the internet are getting very, very wrong. Second, we'll discuss a few ideas on what you can do immediately to shore up your situation if you are a Silicon Valley Bank customer, or even if you are working in the tech world. And then thirdly, let's talk about the crisis from the perspective of your company, and what you can do moving forward. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Silicon Valley Bank Collapse As of now, what is clear is that Silicon Valley Bank went down in part, because of some combination of getting caught in a cash crunch. It appears they made some bad long term bond decisions at low interest rates. And as you know, the US government has been raising interest rates from about 0.25% roughly a year ago, to about 4.75% now a year later. This has caught a lot of people off guard. This is not to say there wasn't a mistake on SVB's part, but what we do know is that there were some combination of over investing in long term bonds, and the interest rates going up that aggravated the problem. Here's a link to the Wall Street Journal article breaking all of what has happened so far. Media and Thought Leaders' “thoughts” on the matter First of all, there's a thread  growing around that says, “Oh, this is the billionaires in Silicon Valley doing corrupt things, and now they're getting their comeuppance.” This is not the case. If there was something incompetent or illegal that took place in the Silicon Valley Bank, we'll find out once the investigations are done. But for now, it is affecting a lot of people in the space, and not just those billionaires they are harping about. This is not some cash crunch hurting billionaires. It is hurting the people who didn't get paid on Friday, because their employer just froze their bank. This is the entrepreneur who DM me on Twitter yesterday saying they have their entire 20 million of VC funding at SVB, and asking what they can do now. These entrepreneurs and CEOs don't know how they're going to pay their people, don't know how they're going to pay their bills. It appears that the FDIC is saying that people will get their guaranteed 250,000 on Monday, but over 90% of the deposits in this bank are in excess of that. So it's really not much protection. And while it seems that much of this money will come back to its rightful owner, it's not clear what percentage and in what timeframe. Running a business with no money is fucking hard. And that's what's going on here. To learn more about the Silicon Valley Bank situation and how your business can cope with crisis of this magnitude, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™!

If you are in tech, a Silicon Valley type, in a startup, or you're a category designer working in that world, this podcast is for you. Because today, we're going to talk about career considerations for all of you. Whether you are planning to climb the corporate ladder or break away from it, we hope that his episode can help you figure things out. Speaking of making a difference, my friends at Acceleration Economy are hosting a legendary virtual event called the Digital CIO Summit. It is not a stretch to say that some of the smartest people in the technology industry are going to be participating. And when some of the big thinkers in the tech world are willing to share their thinking, it is an incredible opportunity that you don't want to miss. If you are interested, register today at AECIOSummit.com. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. How Category King Economics Work The first thing that is important to talk about is how Category King Economics work, and what happens to its dynamics in downtimes. When a new category emerges from a company or a small startup and gains traction, it attracts competition and investment. Eventually, a category king or queen will emerge from said companies and will have the bulk of the market at its grasp – almost two-thirds of the market or so. As we have previously discussed in past episodes and in our book Play Bigger, these categories are usually developed during downtimes, or times of slower to no growth. This is because costumers will usually flock to the current category king or queen of their field, leaving number two and below competing for small portions. Rather than compete for said small portion, these companies are now incentivized to create new categories themselves, one where they can thrive and dominate. Otherwise, their company is in for a slump and steady decrease in profits and market share. Are you in a Category Battle? So as a company, it is important to know how your product or services rank in their perspective category. If you're the category king or head-to-head with the current one, that's great. If not and you are steadily in number 2 or lower, it might be time to get the whiteboards out. Why? Because it means that you are directly competing with pretty much the same product, with them having the superior specifications than yours. Hence, why customers and the bulk of the market choose them as the Category King rather than your company. You are essentially fighting a losing battle at that point, and bleeding money as a result. Time for Plan B Now that you are aware of how companies do battle for the top spot in a category, let's talk about you. If you find yourself in a company that is consistently placing 2nd or in the market, it may be time to consider some career moves. The most obvious one is moving to the category king, and see what they are doing right over there. Another option is to go solo – a lot of solopreneurs tend to break out in these downtimes, either starting from a side hustle and developing it to a career, or working with other entrepreneurs and diving into a new startup with fresh ideas. Take stock of what you have to offer, whether it be intellectual capital or experience, and locate a way to leverage it for your own benefit, whatever course of action you are considering taking. Also, look for a business or a circumstance that will allow you to reap the greatest benefits from the qualities you possess. To hear more on Career Considerations for Category Designers, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by T...

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, let's talk about what most people are missing about the biggest category battle in a decade OpenAI & Microsoft vs. Google. Even some of the smartest people in business can't see what's happening here, as most people don't have a category design lens; they have a competition lens. The competition lens is about winning a comparison game with other companies, which at most leads to a small piece of the market share, and rarely leads to being the category leader of said field. So join us as we dig into how to view the new AI category battle through the category lens, beyond product brand, and business model. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Categories Matter Before we look into things through the category lens, we need to point out why categories matter so much. The simple answer is: categories matter because that's how human brains make sense of information. “Here's a simple example: If I say to you: ‘automobile', you know what that is. And then if I say to you muscle car, you know that a muscle car is a subcategory of automobile. Because the way the human mind works is that you and I ascertain information, and we need to put it somewhere in a file folder, because we need to sort that shit out and make sense of it.” – Christopher Lochhead The second piece of it is, each of these categories and subcategories, these folders in our mind are also a hierarchy of value. Whichever is valuable or not is how they are perceived by everyone, and we collectively give some things higher values than others, even if it sometimes doesn't make sense why some things are more expensive than things that are actually important. Remember, there was a point in time where nobody paid for water. And then Evian showed up and got people to pay a premium price for a free product they had in their tap. OpenAI vs Microsoft So we get to the meat of the dialogue, which is about Microsoft & OpenAI and their new product, ChatGPT. ChatGPT represents a new category called consumer AI. Though there have been previous AI technologies that have been launched it the web before, none are as well-defined and has had a impact as big as ChatGPT. This in turn got people thinking if Microsoft is muscling in on the Search War. Well, not exactly – because Microsoft already lost that battle with their Bing search engine. Google controls about 83% market share of searches online, compared to Microsoft Bing's  9.9%. So clearly, Google is the Category King in that regard. ChatGPT, however, is a whole other product and a different category altogether. ChatGPT does not search for the answer, it creates the answer based on the collective information that is available to it. It's not he old category of Search, but a new category called Answer. After the success of OpenAI & ChatGPT grew and garnered more positive feedback from the market, Google has decided to create its own version of it. Which is ironic, as they fell into the same trap that Microsoft found themselves in with Bing before. To learn more about the surge of new categories from AI, and how to treat these new categories from a category lens perspective, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion.

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we are going to drop a conversation that I recently had with my dear friend, one of the smartest guys in tech, Bob Evans, on his podcast, Cloud Wars Live. If you work in technology, what Bob and his guests have to say is fascinating, illuminating, and, frankly, agenda-setting. If you're a regular reader of Category Pirates, you'll know that we've been writing about intellectual capitalists and the emergence of a whole new human category, Native Digitals, for quite some time. We believe this is an extremely important topic, and we believe that the emergence of the intellectual capitalist as the highest value role in the work world above that of what has historically been the highest value job you can have in the working world, which is the knowledge worker, is particularly significant. Because those of us who will thrive not just survive in the future, we'll move beyond acquiring knowledge and getting paid to apply that knowledge to getting paid to create and monetize new categories of intellectual capital, new categories of knowledge, new categories of thinking, which can be turned into new products and services. The Story of the Hummingbird The conversation starts off with Christopher telling the story of the Hummingbird and his Sensei Sutton. His sensei is an amazing martial artist and a badass individual, but at a certain point in his life, he had to overcome many adversities before getting to where he is now. “So the moral of the story is in life – Sometimes you're the hummingbird and sometimes you're the sensei. But Sooner or later, we all need somebody to catch us tightly enough not to hurt us, but strongly enough to save us.” – Christopher Lochhead In life, we will absolutely be in situations where we are the hummingbird. But the real question is, when we have an opportunity to be the Sensei, will we will we meet the call? ChatGPT and the Death of the Knowledge Worker Christopher then talks about the current boom in AI technology, particularly on the topic of ChatGPT and similar AI generated content. Much like how machinery and Automation have taken over some aspects of labor from men, this new AI technology seems to be crowding in the profession of Knowledge Worker. While it may not be up to par with certain intricacies to date, it is quickly learning and becoming better over a short period of time. And much like the service workers of the past have to learn to adapt to new technology, Knowledge Workers also have to follow the trend and evolve, paving the way to what we call Intellectual Capitalists. Intellectual Capitalist So what is an Intellectual Capitalist? For Christopher, it's someone who doesn't just collect information and apply it like a knowledge worker, but someone who actually generates net-new knowledge. It could be from their experience while working on a certain field that makes them faster, more efficient, or outright the best in that field. In one word, an Intellectual Capitalist has Leverage over other people who are in the same field, but can't do it better or even as good as them. An Intellectual Capitalist should also not be only bound to current categories and ideologies. If there is an idea worth pursuing, it's not enough to learn why it hasn't been done before. One should also look through it with what we have today, and if the rapidly-growing pace of technology will  be able to support it and when. To hear more about the dialogue about AI and the Intellectual Capitalist, download and listen to this episode. Links Follow Cloud Wars Live! Acceleration Economy Network | Apple Podcasts We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

The Wall Street Journal says, “George Lois is the one the only prodigy or fathead, founder of agencies, creator of Legends, George Lewis is a genuine advertising superhero”. George Lois is well known if not famous for designing culture, changing cover images for Esquire magazine, and his “call your cable company and tell them I want my MTV”. That campaign made the music video category and made MTV the Category King. In his life and career, he broke every rule, created legendary categories and brands, and he did it in a brash, bold, exciting way. Sadly, we recently lost this legend at 91 years old. George Lois died just three months after his beloved wife, Rosemary died. And he is one of my heroes, a man that so many of us in marketing owe so much. And yet, most young people in entrepreneurship, marketing and creative endeavors and design. Don't really know of him. But if you've ever done anything in entrepreneurship in category design or marketing, that breaks boundaries, you're following in George's footsteps, and you might not even know it. Today, let's dig into some of George's life's teachings. Because if you want to become legendary, you have to study the legends. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. George Lois and a Damn Good Advice George Lewis was born in June 1931, and he passed in November 2022. And it is said that in the end, we are all remembered for two dates, and a dash. And I'm here to tell you that George made some legendary shit out of his dash. I want to focus on a book of his called Damn Good Advice for People with Talent, How to unleash your creative potential by America's master communicator, George Lois. If you have not read this book yet, I would suggest you do so. What I want to share with you are some of the learnings from this book – not all of them, but some of them that really have spoken to me over the years and made a big difference for me that I think might make a big difference for you. Force a Choice Idea number one is to Force a Choice. At the very beginning of damn good advice, George says this: “There are only four types of person you can be: one, very bright, industrious, [your perfect]. Two, very bright lazy [a damn shame]. Three, stupid lazy, you'll sit on your ass, so you're a wash. And four, stupid industrious [uh oh, you're dangerous]. If you're a number one or a number two, you'll get a lot out of this book, if you're number three, or number four, why you reading this book?” – George Lois So right off the top and this landmark piece of work by George, he's doing what legendary brands do, which is they attract who they are for, and they repel who they are against. Legendary brands force a choice, not a comparison. And best I can tell, that's how George lived his life. You are who you are Big Idea number two: Around here, we would express it as Follow Your Different. In George words, he writes: “Whether you're male, female, black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, ethnic, or gay, and wherever you work, you are who you are. And that's what you are, and be damn proud of it. Don't change your name. Don't change your accent, don't change your heritage, don't denigrate a humble upbringing. Be true to yourself, and you'll ring true to the world.” – George Lois To learn more about the different teachings of George Lois, download and listen to this episode. Bio George Lois Links Learn more about George Lois Website | Wiki | Books More about George Lois: NYTimes The Atlantic Washington Post We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

Recently, I was a guest with the legendary Sachit Gupta on his fantastic podcast called Conscious Creators, which I highly recommend. During our conversation on his podcast, we unpack Category Pirates' most recent book Snow Leopard. Our producer Jason DeFilippo heard this podcast and thought it'd be a great idea to drop it here for you. What you're about to hear is me and Satya go deep on what it takes to be a successful native digital creator slash writer. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Reason for Podcasting The conversation starts off with a discussion of how the two first met, and it was through the legendary podcaster Jordan Harbinger. Christopher was looking into getting sponsors and thinking about was to monetize his podcast, and was recommended to Sachit Gupta this way. While he did get ideas on different styles of monetization, the biggest thing that Christopher got out of the conversation was the realization that monetization was not his primary focus on doing podcasts. “I sort of had this aha that said, “Hey, wait a minute, dude, this was actually never about money”. And if I want to make money, I know how to go do that. So you sort of set my head straight, and that the emphasis was on the wrong syllable that if I wanted to make money, I knew how to go make money in a way that was much more exponential than being essentially an ad salesperson. The real gift you gave me around podcasting, was that I'm not doing this to monetize.” – Christopher Lochhead Sachit Gupta on Monetizing Directly vs Indirectly One of the things that Sachit wanted to share was that one doesn't have to monetize directly. Focus on making good content first and foremost, so that you can reach out and cultivate an audience naturally, rather than going for cookie-cutter approaches for a short-term viral status. “Here's what I see happening in this greater world right now: there's a stat that I think like 75% of youngsters want to be YouTubers, and the path most of them see in front of them is go on YouTube or something else and create content that's for the extremes, because that's what spreads. And then once you chase views and get to a certain level of audience, you can monetize in some way, right. And if you don't become big, you can't monetize. In your book, you call like the obvious content, which is not really the stuff that's useful.” – Sachit Gupta While there is merit to uploading consistent content, you don't have to flood your audience with bit-sized content that is just a big nothing burger. Creating meaningful content, let's say once every week or two is way better than just dropping portion-sized content that just adds to the collective brain-rot of society. The Content Pyramid The topic then shifts to the concept of the content pyramid, and what types of people thrive in each level. Consumers, for example, are at base of the pyramid and consists of the largest section of it. In internet culture, there is something known as the 1% rule, which states that on social media platforms, 1% create while 99% consume. Most people spend their entire lives being content consumers—not content creators. And that's totally fine, so long as you understand you're not “playing the game.” You're sitting on the sidelines watching the game. In order to “get in the game,” you must move out of consumption and up The Content Pyramid. To hear more of the conversation between Sachit Gupta and Christopher Lochhead, download and listen to this episode. Bio Sachit Gupta Connect with Sachit Gupta! Website | Conscious Creators Show | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

In observance of the Midterm Elections in the United States, we will not be dropping full normal episodes of Lochhead on Marketing this week. And if you are American, I do hope you get out and vote. It is, in my opinion, one of the most patriotic things you can do. I also just wanted to read you a little something that I wrote recently on LinkedIn that I think is germane. Because whatever happens in the American midterms, roughly 50% of the country is going to be elated, and 50% of the country is going to be pissed. So let me do a little reading for you here. “Today, more Americans hate more Americans than ever. And yet, we all know hating someone because they disagree with you might be the biggest stupid of them all. So how did this happen in the oldest surviving democracy in human history? It's because politicians, media, and social media, on both sides, create hate. Politicians, media, and social media, on both sides. monetize hate. We took the bait and internalize the hate, but it's not too late. We can start really thinking. We can start really dialoguing. We can start really making a difference. American on American hate stops with us. This is something every American can be a leader on, and frankly, everybody in the world can be a leader on. American on American hate stops with us. God bless America and God bless the world."

What percentage of the total value created in any given market category goes to the category designer or leader? That was a question that we had several years ago. And we thought there would be research about that. Well, when we were writing Play Bigger, we couldn't find that data. So we had to create it. The number has been an extraordinary insight. It turns out that the company that wins the category earns 76% of the total value created in the space, as measured by market cap and or valuation. And that insight was so compelling, we actually published it in the Harvard Business Review. On this episode, let's dig into how you could be that person. How do you be that company that earns that 76%? Or seven another way? What are the different ways that category designers, the people who create and dominate new market categories think and become the one who earns that 76%? Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Category Design is a Game Of Thinking Thinking about thinking is the most important kind of thinking for a Category Designer. You are responsible for changing the way a reader, customer, or consumer “thinks.” You are successful when you've moved their thinking from the old way to the new and different way you are educating them about. But what is “thinking?” According to Roger Martin, arguably the world's #1 management thinker, “thinking” is when you look at the world through an existing model. It's how you use learnings from the past to make sense of the present. So when another driver cuts you off on the highway, you apply your past experiences to the present and swerve on reflex. But almost all thinking is “reflexive” rather than “reflective.” Consider the difference we laid out in our mini-book The Art of Fresh Thinking: “Reflexive” thinking: Having an unconscious “reflex” in response to ideas or opinions. “Reflective” thinking: Taking a moment to consciously reflect on how the past may have created a preexisting mental model keeping you from considering a new and different future. Reflexive thinking causes a scarcity of fresh thinking in the world because it relies on mental scaffolding built in the past. Some of the smartest people stopped reflective thinking a long time ago. We would even go so far as to say that being declared a smart person is almost certain to make you stupid. Because when you get called “smart,” you become entrenched in your comfortable past. When you're smart, you know things. And most people who know things are called “experts.” Which means they already know. And when you already know, by definition you are using old mental scaffolding to consider new and different futures. Which makes you stupid. So, don't strive to become an expert (ever!)—it's the enemy of fresh thinking. Here's How a Category Designer Thinks You are presented with information. You become conscious of which model you are using to evaluate the information (which “lens” you are looking through). And then before you react, respond, or give in to your reflexive nature, you pause and first consider which mental model you're using to examine the information being presented. You train yourself to be curious, to ask why, to suspend your past opinions, beliefs, and mental models, and to open the aperture of your mind and consider something different. That's “thinking.” Our friend, Mike Maples Jr., calls this “Backcasting.” “Legendary builders must stand in the future and pull the present from the current reality to the future of their design. So an important additional job of the builder is to persuade early like-minded people to join a new movement.” To learn more on how you can become a Category Designer and start thinking more reflectively, download and listen to this episode. You can also read more about it at Category Pirates. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bests...

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, let's talk about public relations/communications, and a very different point of view about that. In particular, why your content is your marketing. Towards the end, we'll talk about five easy steps to consider when building your own direct audience, and bypassing the legacy publications: the old-school, dusty gatekeepers. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Problem with Legacy Media This episode is inspired in part by a conversation I had with a CEO friend, which I then posted on LinkedIn. It reads: A CEO friend just asked me, if he should go to a PR/Marketing smooze event with the legacy business media. Here's my advice. (Warning: I'm biased. But for a reason) The bulk of legacy media is a waste of time. I used to write for many of the biggest legacy business media outlets. Stopped 5+ years ago, because a) (almost) no one reads it and b) it is mostly clickbait. No one reads Forbes fortune Fast Company, Inc, etc. anymore. Your best ROI will come from building your own media and thought leadership. And the AHA here is every company needs to be a media company. Playing Both Sides Another issue is that even as these legacy media have gone digital, they still rely on cookie cutter strategies and clickbait-y articles. They play the SEO game to keep their websites on top of searches, and then have companies pay to be featured as top so-and-so in a category. Some even go as far as charging subscription to access their media, which is a whole other reason why people don't read their stuff anymore. You pay to get the “information”, only to find out that it's something you can probably read 2 lines down the search results. Essentially, they are trying to get revenues from both sides of the process, which will eventually lead to burning both ends of the stick faster. They are still clinging to traditional ways, which shows even when they went digital. Go Direct to the Source So rather than subscribing to “publication lists” that doesn't really net you any traffic, it's best to do it in-house and go direct to the source by tapping into the digital market itself. You can start small with building up channels in various social media platforms, and promoting your content and linking back to your website if they are interested for more. At the very least, you now have a platform to actively engage your audience, and get a pulse of what works and what doesn't, and go from there. To find out the other steps in doing better PR and communications on your own, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On September 15 2022, Adobe announced it was buying startup Figma for 20 billion US dollars. This is one of the largest private company purchases in Silicon Valley history. They paid approximately 50 times Figma's 2022 revenue, and Wall Street hated it. Skeptics are saying that Adobe paid an "astronomical price" for a company projected to book only 400 million in ARR annualized reoccurring revenue this year. And this is exactly what people who do not understand how categories work. The “experts” on Wall Street when deals like this go down, are almost always wrong. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Wall Street Mercenaries Let's start off with an interesting tidbit that I experienced by interacting with Wall Street. As I was doing a little bit of consulting and insulting back then, a group approached me about their matchmaking service. Simply put, they would match executives and experts to Wall Street folks, and they pay for your time so they could ask you questions and advise on certain things. The idea intrigued me, so I signed up for it. But it turns out, the Wall Street guys only wanted to ask for speculations and opinions on certain company's performance and how it would affect the market, what stocks were going to tank, etc. The AHA here is that most people (this is a generalization) in Wall Street are mercenaries. They're looking to make money in the now term, short term. They don't create a significant value in the economy. They just try to anticipate what might happen tomorrow, so that they can play a financialization game. While there are exceptions to this, it's generally the perception most people have of them. How to Confuse a Wall Street Folk As we've discussed before, there are two kinds of acquisition deals when you look at them from the high level. There are consolidation deals and acceleration deals. Consolidation deals happen when a certain company is not growing anymore, and their solution for it is to merge with another company to get a bigger share of the market and look like they have “growth”. Value investors like the Wall Street folks typically thrive and look out for such deals, as it fulfills their requirements for “growth” and revenue increase. Acceleration deals is when a company acquires another because they see value on it once they have developed it. They company or IP they purchased may not have a huge valuation at the moment, but it could be a gold mine for them once it is fully fleshed out. Acceleration deals tend to confuse Wall Street folk, as they are focused in the “now”, and could not fathom the significance of such a deal entails, unless it affects the current quarter. Hence, they do not understand what Adobe did, which is why they hate it. To hear more about the Adobe deal and why Wall Street folks hate it, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion. He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

Welcome to a special episode of Lochhead on Marketing, where we dive further into our new book called Snow Leopard. On this episode, we discuss the Content Pyramid, and how one can become a legendary creator, writer, and thought leader. But before all that, we'd like to say thank you very much to all who took the time to read our new book and share it around. It's also caused a tremendous amount of conversation in the entrepreneur, marketing, and writer/creator world. Because today, more than ever, being able to change the world with words, matters. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. The Problem Everybody wants to be a thought leader. They want to be seen as forward thinking, they want to be celebrated as the Guru, the expert, the All Knowing one in their industry, they want to be the keynote speaker, the bestselling author, the person listed in the next 10, marketers to watch in 2002 by Forbes, most of which are paid placements. Because now that the world has gotten exposed to the power of digital attention, and everyone believes the most valuable thing you could possibly have is an audience. Well, everybody wants one for themselves. Unfortunately, as we wrote about in our mini book, The Me Disease, the vast majority of people who want to be a thought leader, or bestselling author in today's digital gamified world, don't have any leading thoughts. That is to say, they're not actually contributing new differentiated ideas. What they want is to be seen as a thought leader, to collect badges of approval, and amass followers, and social metrics that send the signal that lots of other people say they are important, without having to say anything unique or meaningful, or different. More importantly, they want the audience without having to take the time to think deeply about who they are creating for and why they want the outcome without the process. Content-Free Content Since this has become such a desirable goal, there are now strategies for shortcutting your way to instant status gratification. The key is to cater to the lowest common denominator. The way the business world has been educated on how to become an overnight thought leader is to create content that doesn't threaten, doesn't challenge, and doesn't require the audience to think, as loud and as often as possible. This strategy caters to lazy button smashing consumers. We call this Content-free Content. It gets likes and views, and it lands you some followers. But after you the consumer, eat it, you sort of feel like a box full of Oreos. Zero nutritional value full of empty calories, and left feeling stupid. The Content Pyramid Ask yourself: do you want acceptance, or do you want to make a difference? If you want to be a legendary writer, creator, entrepreneur, executive or industry thought leader, you need to be honest with yourself about a how you measure success and be what category you're going to play in. Also, when you create you are creating something for someone. Anyone who says “Yeah, well I just want to create for myself” is a beginner and hasn't gotten far enough down the road to realize they aren't who matter: the reader, the listener, the viewer is who matters. To hear the full chapter about the Content Pyramid and how to become a successful thought leader, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger. He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist. In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software jugge...