Chris Brogan wrote a post on his blog a few weeks ago with the title “Do One Thing Well.” His premise, highlighting Cafe Du Monde, is that brands are always tempted to walk away from what they’re really good at for the sake of expansion. Brogan writes:
Not every brand has to be a sole product experience. We’re okay with Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Cherry Coke, for instance. but for others, and I’d suggest Cafe Du Monde’s Beignets are in this category, sticking to a core product and experience is key.
Dustin Hoffman in his iconic role - found on Salon.com
I agree with Chris in that brands must tread carefully when thinking of expansion so as not to damage their core product and experience. But I would argue that brands must also be careful not to forget to either expand or adapt to market forces to “keep up with the times.”
I’ve heard this adage that I think goes something like this: “To be good at everything means being great at nothing.”
I ask you what’s better? To be brilliant or great at one thing and just one thing? (There’s a reason it’s called “Idiot-Savant.”) Or be good in a variety of areas? What if you only really know how to do one thing and can’t adapt?
What if you were a world-renowned typewriter maker? How are you doing now?
Maybe Chris is partially right that it’s necessary to “do one thing well,” provided that one thing is adaptation.
What do you think? I’m not sure which way to go. Enlighten me.
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