Startups face the challenge of standing out in a market flooded with products. One key strategy for differentiation is cultivating and scaling "taste" – the ability to consistently create desirable and unique products. Taste goes beyond technical skills and involves an intuitive sense of what will resonate with consumers on a deeper level.
Scaling taste involves a few core principles:
1. Unique Vision: Establishing a clear, distinctive vision that guides product creation. This vision acts as a filter, ensuring that every product aligns with the brand's core values and aesthetic.
2. Iterative Creativity: Regularly generating and refining ideas through a structured yet flexible process. This can involve brainstorming sessions, idea vetting, and allowing concepts to marinate before execution.
3. Diverse Inputs: Encouraging contributions from a wide range of team members, regardless of their role or background. This diversity in perspective can lead to more innovative and varied product offerings.
4. Balancing Art and Commerce: Striking a balance between creative expression and commercial viability. While staying true to the brand's artistic vision, it's crucial to consider market demands and revenue potential to sustain growth.
5. Narrative Network Effects: Building a compelling brand narrative that resonates with consumers. Each product should not only stand on its own but also contribute to the overall story of the brand, creating a stronger emotional connection with the audience.
6. Distribution Innovation: Exploring unconventional distribution methods to reach and engage customers. This might include leveraging social media, direct messaging, or novel digital platforms to create buzz and drive sales.
By focusing on these elements, companies can effectively scale their unique taste, differentiating themselves in a crowded market and building a loyal customer base. This approach fosters creativity, maintains brand integrity, and ensures long-term success by continually captivating and engaging consumers.
Discussion (2)
It's been said before, but having good taste ultimately helps people save time.
That means you make them 1) get inspired quicker 2) find answers sooner 3) understand a culture more efficiently.. the list goes on..
If you are creating a product or are just a creator/personality that has good taste, your audience and customers benefit.
Not to mention if you do one of these things for them, they end up trusting you more and your perceived "authority" becomes more prominent.