John Landsberg of Bottom Line Communications writes a monthly marketing column for Small Business Monthly. He is a nationally recognized marketing and public relations expert and and frequent business speaker. He also is an adjunct professor of marketing and public relations at three colleges.
TIME TO BE A HEDGEHOG --- AND NOT A FOX By John Landsberg, Small Business Monthly May 2009 In these challenging economic times we all need to sit down and ask ourselves a very important question: �Am I a fox or a hedgehog?� It�s a question first raised by Jim Collins in his hugely popular book �Good to Great� that says �the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.� Collins says that in order to be successful in today�s marketplace an organization needs to differentiate itself from its competitors in order to succeed.To do that it needs to employ a �Hedgehog Concept� and be the best in its industry. In his book Collins notes the hedgehog �reduces all challenges and dilemmas to simple � indeed almost simplistic � hedgehog ideas.� �For a hedgehog, anything that does not somehow relate to the hedgehog idea holds no relevance,� he relates. As one who often follows the �fox� concept of my own business, it is difficult to admit that Collins� Hedgehog concept is the way to go, particularly in today�s business climate. You will rarely find an Olympic pole vaulter who decides to run the 100-yard dash. Or switch to figure skating.But you will see a business jump into a totally new arena far outside its area of expertise. It isn�t easy for many businesses to stay focused on their real strengths.I have seen it over and over how a very successful advertising agency feels that it can grow if it also offers clients public relations services. Why use us just for advertising, but someone else for PR? The answer is: �Because they are two completely different disciplines. How many advertising people does your agency have compared to PR people?�The answer is often several ad folks and maybe one or two PR folks. They are great in advertising; lousy in PR--or vice versa. A business acquaintance of mine is more of a fox than me.He has the attention span of a gnat.He constantly starts one business, gets bored and starts another one, then another one, and so on.Eventually his first business fails due to his lack of interest, and so on and so on� This is the year to focus on those things that will make your business successful.Act like nothing else matters.Don�t be distracted. Now, more than ever, you need to be a hedgehog in order to keep your customers and clients happy.
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