Three ways to handle copycats as a small business
Anaita explains how she deals with the many brands that copy Hero Packaging, giving three tactics: leaning into uncopyable brand elements, turning customers into loyal evangelists, and constantly reinventing rather than getting complacent. The takeaway is that copycats are less dangerous than staying still.
The lessons
Identify and loudly promote the parts of your brand that can't be copied, like your personality and behind-the-scenes story
Turn loyal customers into evangelists by making them feel part of an exclusive club and rewarding their loyalty
Keep reinventing your brand and never get complacent, or you'll become a sitting duck for copycats
Questions people ask
What should I do when competitors keep copying my business?
Focus on the elements of your brand that can't be copied, like your personality, story, and behind-the-scenes content, and promote them consistently. Turn your customers into loyal evangelists through an exclusive-feeling community, and keep reinventing your brand so you never become complacent.
Transcript
Let's talk about what to do with copycats. If you're a small business and you're doing well, you will get copycats. With Hero Packaging, we have dozens of them. And when I say copy, I mean literally anything that we do, they do.
Everyone's like, you should be so flattered. I'm really not, but also not worried. So here are three things that you need to do. Number one, find the elements of your brand that are absolutely uncopyable.
Your brand and your personality, your behind the scenes content, awards, your certificates. Shout it from the rooftops and tell your customers about it consistently. Number two, make your customers evangelists. Keep them loyal to you by making them part of an exclusive club.
Reward their loyalty, make them your models. Create a cult following no matter how small it is. Keep reinventing your brand. Don't ever get complacent.
Don't do what anyone else is doing because you'll turn into a sitting duck. I hope that helps.
