Are You, Your Brand, Or Your Business The ‘One of One’ In Your Industry, Sector, Or Profession? And, If Not, What Does It Take To Become It?
“I’m going to tell you a secret. Being the One is just like being in love. No one needs to tell you you are in love, you just know it, through and through.” — The Oracle To Neo, The Matrix
I just had an epiphany of sorts, after mulling over this during the last couple of weeks or so. In a noisy world that is increasingly saturated with a seemingly endless range of alternatives, are you, your brand, or your business the one of one?
What Does Being The ‘One of One’ Mean?
Let me explain. For me, being the ‘one of one’ as an individual, business, or brand, means that even if you operate in a space that is incredibly competitive, and has impossibly tiny margins, you are the one that everyone wants and will pay anything you ask to have it. You defy the convention and are an outlier to the status quo. You literally operate in your own reality distortion field and are unapologetically the special one.
Hermès & The Birkin: A Classic One of One Example
An example that comes to mind is Hermès and their legendary Birkin handbag. This handbag, as any woman would tell you, is the stuff of legend, ever since it came to market several decades ago. One cannot simply walk into a Hermès store and buy a new one. You are chosen by Hermès if you are worthy to buy one. Think about that for a second!
The way this works is that only long standing Hermès customers are contacted when a Birkin may be available to purchase and they are given a limited amount of time to do so as well as limited variants to pick from. Hermès constrains the availability of Birkins due to their rigorous, capacity limited and handmade manufacturing process meaning that they are not only highly coveted, but also extremely hard to buy.
It does not matter if you are the wealthiest or the most famous as Hermès will NOT sell you a Birkin unless they deem you worthy of it! It’s such an issue for their devoted customers that some of them lodged a class action law suit last year to challenge this quandary. The Hermès Birkin bag is a classic case of the ‘one of one’ concept.
Apple & The iPhone: Another One of One Illustration
Another example is probably the iPhone. There are so many competing smartphone alternatives to the iPhone that many would argue are much better in terms of how well they are built and how they work, especially in the AI era where Apple seems to be stumbling badly.
However, the typical iPhone customer is a peculiar creature who will always remain loyal and believe that they are using the best smartphone in the world — because Apple says it is. You cannot convince an iPhone customer otherwise. True story! :)
As it turns out, I was once one of these people. For many years you could not convince me that there was a better smartphone than the iPhone. However, that ended a few years ago and I honestly don’t think I am missing anything from not having an iPhone. So it’s more a state of mind rather than a truth from where I stand these days that iPhones are the best smartphones in the world.
You can apply this thinking to many scenarios where consumers and businesses will only use a particular product, service, or hire a person above all others if they are considered to be the ‘one of one’ in their eyes.
McKinsey & Company: The One Of One Management Consulting Firm
Another example I can think of is McKinsey & Company, which for many decades has been considered to be the most elite of management consulting firms that charges much more than its competitors and often has a waiting list of customers eager to sign them up for an engagement.
This unique positioning also means that the one of one can literally name their price, as there is nothing else in the market that comes close to them. It’s truly a special place to be and a rare place indeed, as a one of one stands apart from everyone and everything else. A breed apart indeed!
Key Questions On Becoming The ‘One of One’
So, in the quest to become or emulate a one of one, the million shilling questions would be:
- What does it take to become a one of one?
- What are the ingredients that enable individuals, businesses, brands, services, and products to occupy this rarified space?
- Does it happen by chance, or can it be created and curated, intentionally?
- Since there is clear evidence of the one of one phenomena in many circumstances, what allows them to sustain their uniquely elevated positioning?
What Makes A One of One?
The truth is I don’t have any or all of the answers but in my mind there are a few things that seem to stand out when it comes to the one of one:
- The one of one are usually remarkably exceptional in how they operate relative to the competition. From how the product is manufactured or the service is delivered or experienced, so much so that the customer of these offerings believes what they have is usually worth the premium they command.
- The individuals, businesses, or brands quite often have a very clear sense of purpose or ‘true north’ as to what they are all about and why they do what they do. It’s never just for profit or to be one of the many. They are deliberate and intentional in all that they do which makes them incredibly attractive. Their ‘raison d’etre’ underpins everything!
- They are happy to say no to anything that violates or compromises their purpose. This means that an individual will not take more money for a job or assignment if they don’t feel that it is aligned with who they are and what they do. It’s the same reason why Hermès will destroy products that do not meet their exacting standards of production, even if it’s not visible or apparent to the customer. If Hermès knows it has failed to achieve the required standard then it’s not good enough to be branded as Hermès and sold to unsuspecting customers. Integrity is very much a part of their ethos.
- They are not in the game of being the cheapest or most affordable in the marketplace, ever! This means that if you cannot afford their premium price they simply move on to the next customer as they are selling the value and not the price. This is an essential aspect of the one of one as they recognize their true value proposition and do everything to stay ahead of the chasing packs and becoming commoditized. In my opinion, Apple does this exceedingly well.
- Over time, the one of one become almost mythical in terms of how individuals, businesses, or brands are perceived in the marketplace. In practical terms, what this means is that they use storytelling as a way of standing apart from everyone else, and this is often enabled by the fervent communities that they build around them. These community members or advocates exhibit near cult-like or tribal behaviour that consolidates and amplifies the legendary narratives of the one of one. In other words, the one of one exhibit almost religious loyalty from their communities.
So, there you have it. What do you think of the concept of the one of one? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
