It’s true, I’ve never been to the Iowa State Fair.
I know, I know. I’ve heard all of the reasons to go. The food, the people watching, the food on a stick, watching people eat the food on a stick.
All of this seems…well… kinda boring.
I mean don’t get me wrong, deep-fried butter on a stick sounds interesting enough to give it a nibble, but it seems like a “once-in-a-lifetime is good enough” sort of thing.
And here lies the rub for me. The Iowa State Fair seems like it’s a one-and-done type of thing. Something that doesn’t scream new adventures every year.
For a good portion of my life, I grew up in Calgary, home of the Calgary Stampede. The Stampede bills itself as the greatest outdoor show in the World!!! That’s the same world where the Iowa State Fair takes place.
I got bored with the Stampede years before I moved to Iowa and was then introduced to the Iowa State Fair. For me, I didn’t really see the difference between the State Fair and the Stampede. Deep Fried food, rides, and live music.
So, how does this relate to the business you ask? Well, I’m glad you did.
Boring is a huge turnoff. Doing the same thing time after time is not going to bring in a new crowd, nor is it going to keep your current crowd around much longer. People’s attention spans are shrinking and they are constantly looking for something new.
Cellphones are a perfect example of this. Each and every year they come out with the same smartphone and push the latest and most exciting new additions. For the most part, the phone is the same, but they know that to make things more palatable and to ensure people are coming back to spend more with them, they need to do something different.
Now, as much as we stress staying true to your brand, we also stress pushing the boundaries of what your brand is and can be.
At the end of the day, always doing the same thing is boring.
Boring sucks.
Don’t suck.
Be the Greatest Brand in the World!!!
