The “Grandfather’s Clock” Secret

Are you looking for the grandfather clock in the foyer?

Not as cuckoo as it may sound…

If you want your product, service, or yourself to stand out, it’s about finding and highlighting the one unique feature, the bit of colour, the small, seemingly irrelevant detail that makes something truly special.

(Like spotting the grandfather clock in a foyer that otherwise looks like a million others)

And yes, this works in industries that are POTENTIALLY dull.

Financial literacy, health and safety, cyber security, car sales… I’ve found the grandfather clock in all of them.

And so can you, when you:

➢ Find one unusual, differentiating detail and zoom in on one feature.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is just 4 degrees off-centre. But that slight imbalance has made it one of the most universally recognised and famous buildings in the world.

➢ Make your product, service, or person relevant to what’s going on in the world.
In 2021, the meditation app Calm offered to pay fines for players opting out of French Open press conferences for mental health reasons.

➢ Use fiction techniques in your non-fiction marketing.
You don’t have to be a huge company like Airbnb to tell stories and build an emotional response. Try customer testimonials, case studies, founder’s story.

If there’s a “hidden secret” or “shortcut” to better marketing, the grandfather clock is it.