
12
The Challenge
Prologue
What does an out-friend/out-trend strategy hope to “win”?
The brand engagement arms race.
They’re on Pinterest? We need to be there. They’ve got
YouTube videos? Let’s do that too. And oh, look, yet another
new social network where our brand needs a “presence.”
Trying to stay one follower, one like, one meme, ahead of
competitors is not a robust, durable strategy. It is not a
sustainable path to long-term success.
A strategy based on out-friend or out-trend the
competition is exhausting and fragile.
And is “engagement” really what we want?