Times are tough in business, and many unsuccessfully attempt to navigate through the maelstrom by mirroring the competition. But, in a world where credibility is king, becoming ‘dai-sensei’ could be the answer, argues Mariel Brown, Head of Trends at Seymourpowell.

1. Becoming
Dai-Sensei

2. ‘How can we get consumers to choose
us over the competition?’ This is a
question businesses have been asking
themselves since commerce began.
But in times of economic instability
this question takes on an even greater
significance. It becomes more than a
question of increasing profit margins, it is
a question of survival. It is life or death.
As the dark clouds of economic hardship refuse to clear, the
corporate world’s answer to this conundrum increasingly puts
emphasis on the ‘competition’ element of the question rather
than the ‘consumer’ part. Of course, brands have always
looked to one another for, shall we say, inspiration. But in recent
times it would seem brands are monitoring their competitors
more closely than ever. They are living in fear, terrified of being
left behind, or – worse still – being the first to break cover. As
a result, for every step that is taken by one brand, a counter
step is taken by their competitors to match it. They are turning
Times are tough in business, themselves into ‘brand doppelgängers’ – ghostly doubles or
and many unsuccessfully lookalikes. We can see these brand doppelgängers across
many categories from food, retail and beauty, through to
attempt to navigate through consumer electronics and the automotive industry. Even the
glamorous vacuum cleaning market has its fair share of them.
the maelstrom by mirroring More worryingly is how deeply engrained this copycat behaviour
the competition. But, in a is across a number of consumer touch-points from marketing
and advertising, through to products and packaging. My
world where credibility is colleagues and I recently conducted a round of research for
king, becoming ‘dai-sensei’ an alcohol brand in Eastern Europe. We were lucky enough to
spend time with a number of bright young things aged between
could be the answer... 22 – 30 who regularly attended all the major clubs and bars of
their city. One reoccurring theme we found through our research
was the indistinguishable nature of most of the big brands in
MARIEL BROWN
Head of Trends at Seymourpowell their on-trade marketing. Our respondents frequently expressed
disappointment in the lack of imagination and individuality
Confidential. © Seymour Powell Limited, 2012. All rights reserved.

3. of many branded events. So similar were some marketing
strategies that one group who had attended a sponsored event
a few weeks prior to our meeting couldn’t even remember who
their corporate host was. This is the inherent danger that comes
with being a brand doppelgänger.
It’s of little wonder consumers are
It appears that as brands attempt to play it safe, they are
blurring the choices available in the market place. The trouble
frustrated and angered by brand
is that playing it safe isn’t helping anyone; instead it creates an
indistinct mulch of options. It’s sucking the life out of brands,
doppelgängers especially when
and more critically it’s turning the consumer off. Ultimately this is initiatives are more like ‘me-too’
bad news for business.
Perhaps the most notable example of this is the much-
campaigns.
publicised Apple vs. Samsung lawsuit, which finally reached
court this summer. Here, Apple accuses Samsung of infringing
on many of their copyrights including user interfaces, product This reaction is a reminder of one dramatic change we have
and packaging designs. What is particularly interesting with this witnessed in recent years: Thanks to hyper-connectivity there
case isn’t the drawn-out game of chess being played by two is nowhere to hide for brands. Consumers are empowered like
consumer electronics giants, but rather how connected the never before, they are talking to one another like never before,
consumers are in the argument. The geek community (unlike and – perhaps more importantly – thanks to the global recession
the courts) were quick to pass their judgment. They sided with and a loss of faith in governments, they are listening to one
Apple. Barely hours after the story hit the headlines amateur another even more intently. Brand integrity has taken on a critical
photos of Apple’s iPhone 3GS placed next to Samsung’s Galaxy new significance.
S i900 flooded the web as perturbed individuals enthusiastically
waded in with their own photographic evidence. McDonald’s recently learned of this significance at their
own cost: After witnessing the success many brands were
having with forays into social media, McDonald’s launched
the hashtag #McDStories where customers could share
their positive Maccy D’s experiences. But, instead of offering
gleaming stories of marketing gold, it quickly spiralled into
...playing it safe isn’t helping a PR disaster. Before it was hastily pulled, their Twitter
campaign was inundated with sarcastic tweets, the most
anyone... It’s sucking the life out infamous of which involved diabetes and upset stomachs
– obviously far from what McDonald’s were hoping for.
of brands, and more critically it’s So focused were they on getting on the social media
bandwagon, they underestimated the power of the modern-
turning the consumer off. day beast they were dealing with. Worse still, this campaign
was an uncomfortable fit for their brand. Consumers took this
as insincere and hit back.
Confidential. © Seymour Powell Limited, 2012. All rights reserved.

4. It’s of little wonder consumers are frustrated and angered by heads spinning (as we saw with McDonald’s and their Twitter
brand doppelgängers especially when initiatives are more like campaign). Add to this the perpetual sideways glancing at the
‘me-too’ campaigns. It’s akin to turning up to an AC/DC gig to competition, and it is no surprise that many businesses are
find they’ve instead been replaced with AC/DShe, their all- experiencing a rather painful crick in their neck.
female tribute act. There is a reason AC/DC sell out stadiums
and their tribute act struggle to fill pubs. People crave originality.
Strangely, if you speak to brands they often say their aim is
to stand out, but their focus is generally on small incremental
changes. They say they want innovation but often what they
end up with is something that is new for the sake of being new As we move through this time
without taking any real steps forward. Richard Seymour, one of
the founders of design and innovation company Seymourpowell
of great flux people are craving
(and my boss), describes this as the confusion between the stability, things they can put
‘new’ and the ‘better’. He says, “This semantic separation of
‘better’ from ‘new’ is critically important in any form of new their trust in... there is a strong
product development. The former is a path to self-sustaining
excellence and brand reputation. The latter is a method of
desire for credibility and integrity.
occasionally refreshing your product line-up without necessarily
establishing strong brand equities and longevity. One has a mid
to long-term direction; one hasn’t, necessarily.”
So how can brands break free of this unhealthy downward
What further muddies the water are the giant leaps being made spiral? How can they plot a course to successfully navigate
in technology. Social media and viral marketing are proving through these tumultuous times and direct them towards a
to be a distracting siren’s call that has sent many brands’ brighter and better future?
The Japanese notion of ‘dai-sensei’ could offer some answers.
Lets begin by breaking down its meaning. Sen, meaning
‘before’, and Sei, meaning to be ‘born’, directly combines to
If we apply the notion of make ‘Sensei’ which means ‘one who is born before another’.
The term has many nuances but generally it is used to imply a
becoming a dai-sensei to brands master or a teacher, and shows respect to someone who has
achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or skill. When
it would have less to do with this is prefixed by the word ‘Dai’, which means ‘great’ or ‘large’,
mirroring the competition and it can be literally translated as ‘grand master’. The term is often
used to describe the top sensei, someone who is held in great
more to do with leading it. esteem… a guiding light for others.
If we apply the notion of becoming a dai-sensei to brands it
would have less to do with mirroring the competition and more
Confidential. © Seymour Powell Limited, 2012. All rights reserved.

5. to do with leading it. It’s ambitious. It demands a fundamental designed handset. Voters cited the models stunning looks,
shift towards the exceptional. smart ergonomics and commended it in particular for bringing
something new to the market. Incidentally, the smartphone to
The inherent honour of dai-sensei may seem from another world
take second prize in this poll was Samsung’s attractive Galaxy
and another time, yet it has a powerful resonance today: As we
S3 (which, by the way, looks nothing like an iPhone). The
move through this time of great flux people are craving stability,
Lumia’s warm reception shows us that brands will do well if they
things they can put their trust in. As we’ve seen above, there
can develop a deep understanding of who they themselves are,
is a strong desire for credibility and integrity. These times of
and release crafted and well-considered products that represent
austerity have forced people to recalibrate their value systems;
this unique character.
people are investing more in experiences and less in material
objects. Average products and services will no longer cut the This brings us onto perhaps the key element of the dai-sensei
mustard; instead we need to offer the unique and outstanding. concept – that of wisdom. We are in a period of accelerated
change and so making a wise choice is vital. Never before in
human history have we had access to so much information.
To individuals this is exciting, but to brands it can be seriously
distracting and paralysing. It becomes a giant magnetic field
messing with many of their internal compasses.
...brands will do well if they can Instead of watching the competition and obsessing over social
develop a deep understanding media, brands should have their eyes firmly fixed on real human
needs and desires. They need to get to the truth of who they
of who they themselves are, are and rediscover what they can offer people that will make
and release crafted and well- their lives better. Instead of asking, ‘How can we get consumers
to choose us over the competition?’ They should think more like
considered products that the Japanese dai-sensei and ask, ‘What can we do that will be
of value to people and the world?’
represent this unique character.
It is only by striving for the sublime that they can become the
grand masters of their categories.
Promising examples of dai-sensei thinking can be seen in
Nokia’s new iPhone rivals, the Lumia 800 and 900. With its To find out more please contact
release Nokia have made a bold move that shows the world its Tim Duncan - tim.duncan@seymourpowell.com
intentions; they are setting their own course for the future rather
than this being dictated by the rest of the mobile phone gang.
The Nokia Lumia has been described as “breathing new life”
into the mobile device market thanks to its distinctive design and
high level of manufacturing finish. The release is helping Nokia
regain territory it has struggled to hold onto in recent years - it
even recently topped a Swiss online poll for the most beautifully
Confidential. © Seymour Powell Limited, 2012. All rights reserved.