Flaunting is the foundation . You can ’ t implement any of the next seven strategies if you are unwilling to practice flaunting .
2 . LOPSIDING
Lopsiding is about being unbalanced , imperfect , unstable , and odd . Lopsiding involves amplifying , not reducing , your brand ’ s flaws . We want you to expand them , magnify them , increase them , turn them up , exaggerate them , and supersize them .
This is what Hardee ’ s ( or Carl ’ s Jr ., if you live on the West Coast ) did with the Thickburger . When other fast-food companies were trying to create healthier options , Hardee ’ s offered the unhealthiest option . And customers loved it .
3 . ANTAGONIZING
Antagonizing is about polarizing , alienating , repelling , and taunting . We want you to deliberately exasperate , irritate , provoke , aggravate , and instigate hostility . Go out of your way to rub people the wrong way . Try to earn a few more one-star reviews on Amazon or Yelp . Tell your employees to increase the number of complaints . Ring a bell in the office every time you get a nasty email . Try it . The more some people hate you , the more other people will love you .
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema antagonizes when they kick out customers who talk or text during movies . Search YouTube for the angry voicemail a customer sent after being expelled . Alamo turned it into a PSA , warning people not to talk or text in Alamo theaters .
4 . WITHHOLDING
Withholding is about limitations , restrictions , boundaries , and constraints . Withholding involves offering fewer options , fewer locations , fewer features , fewer products , fewer services , fewer hours , fewer perks , and fewer discounts . This is about deliberately and relentlessly shrinking the things everyone else is expanding . It is purposefully doing less of what is considered normal by others . By reducing options or completely eliminating them , brands can stand out and differentiate themselves .
Chick-fil-A withholds by being closed on Sundays , not serving burgers , and rejecting 97 % of franchise applications .
5 . SWERVING As an example of withholding , we aren ’ t going to explain swerving . 6 . OPPOSING
Opposing is doing the exact opposite of what others are doing . Opposing brands are unlike other brands . They are contradictory . They refuse to give in , yield , submit , and surrender to the pressure to conform .
REI opposes when they close their stores and website on Black Friday , the biggest shopping day of the year .
7 . MICRO-WEIRDING
As we collected examples for pink goldfish companies , we had some that didn ’ t fit into any specific category but were too good to leave out . So , we created another category , micro-weirding . The Magic Castle Hotel ’ s free popsicle hotline is micro-weird .
8 . EXPOSING
Exposing is about transparency . Most companies try to hide their flaws . They market themselves as perfect and flawless . But prospects know that no company is perfect . People are looking for a company that will be honest about their imperfections .
Nebraska ’ s new tourism campaign , which they admit that their state “ isn ’ t for everyone ,” is a great example of exposing .
To help you remember the eight steps , we decided to create an acronym :
Flaunting Lopsiding Antagonizing Withholding
Swerving Opposing Micro-Weirding Exposing
FLAWSOME is a combination of FLAWS and AWESOME . We believe your company ’ s flaws are what make it awesome . Are you ready to start flaunting your organization ’ s imperfections ?!
David Rendall , our “ Expert In Resident ,” has spent the last 20 years speaking on every inhabited continent . Some of his clients include the U . S . Air Force , the Australian government , and Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft , AT & T , and Fannie Mae among others . His credits also include being a leadership professor , stand-up comedian , and managing nonprofit enterprises that provided employment for people with disabilities . David ’ s educational accomplishments include a doctorate of management in organizational leadership and a graduate degree in psychology . To top that off , he is the author of four books . To find out more about David ’ s coaching , keynotes , and workshops , visit him at DRendall . com .
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