What can you learn from the Duke of Wellington?
Firstly he was obviously a complete badass, most well-known for giving Napoleon a proper kicking at Waterloo in 1815.
He fought over 60 battles, so he knew his onions.
And when he was asked what lay behind his victories, he said nothing about strategy or tactics. Instead his reply was 'Attention to detail'.
A military bossman at the top of his game. And he didn’t say anything grandiose. Instead it was the distinctly unglamorous language of details, details, details.
No detail is too small.
It reminds me of something Oliverio Toscani said to me a few years ago. He was talking about his creative process, and specifically about his bold AF advertising for United Colours of Benetton in the 90's. His mantra... ‘no detail is too small’.
Underdogs are already losing the battle.
As an Underdog, you’ve got to work twice as hard as the big brands just to stand still. And you’ve got to do that with less budget, less incumbent status and a smaller team.
Be unglamorous, do less but better.
The smallest of details take time, patience and a barrel-load of experience. Revel in the unglamorous-ness of it. For an Underdog to win, you need to do what the biggest brand won't, can't or daren't.
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What won't they do? They won't care about the details as much as you. Why not? Because they're big, so they don't have to. How about you cut 50% of your advertising activity right now? Concentrate all your attention on the details of your strongest and most effective work.
Do that, and like Wellington you'll win the battles that count, rather than being spread too thin like Napoleon.
Underdog brands, need Underdog thinking.
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Creative Director and Co-Founder at Panjea
6 个月The real underdog thinking here was Alexander of Russia who burned his own country to the ground to prevent Napoleon's 'live off the land' strategy from supporting him through to Moscow. As a result the French army bit into a disastrous winter campaign that saw them eating their shoes in despair. Like Hitler's sixth army - it was the hardened attrition of the Russians that crushed that dictator's ambition That and Nelson charging the victory into the French line at Trafalgar in probably the most heroic naval move of all time. Waterloo is an afterthought. A finale of a game already decided in the away leg.