Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? Or is it just a way to advance your own interests by doing something exactly the same way it’s been done before? There are many opinions of this matter. You see it everywhere; Cars, social networks, restaurants, and even some corner stores will use similar deals for some of their products. It’s not necessarily plagiarism to use a marketing strategy. As long as the product itself is not an exact match of another product there is no way to call it a copy. It’s just borrowing ideas right? But is it possible that sometimes it can go too far?
Xiaomi
Xiaomi is a popular tech company located in Beijing, China. But it’s not as well known internationally. To those that are familiar with the company, it has been nicknamed the “Apple of China.” This is largely due to the fact that Xiaomi uses pretty much a carbon copy marketing strategy that has been utilized very successfully by Apple. The company’s products include, smartphones, a digital receiver, and other software products. Xiaomi is most famously known for its leading android phone so creatively named the MiPhone. I know right?
The CEO of this innovative company, Lei Jun, is an outgoing and very intriguing person who has been dubbed “China’s Steve Jobs.” The company has not really innovated the smartphone game. The MiPhone is pretty much a standard android phone. But the way Lei Jun is marketing the device to the public is the reason why the company is worth about $10 billion.
The Strategy
How did this company become one of the top tech giants in China? It’s all in the strategy. Lei Jun Stands on stage in front of a big screen, getting the audience pumped and also keeping it real by donning just a simple black shirt and jeans. Where have we seen that before? Also the way they present the phone itself is detailed and informative by dedicating time to each of the features and apps individually. Who are we kidding? This is straight off the blueprints of Apple’s marketing strategy.
Bringing us back to the question. Is it okay to be a copycat? It’s always good to re-invent ideas and put your own spin on things, but is it okay to use another strategy as a stencil? What do you think about re-using marketing strategies?
