Not Another Post About AI

Lots of AI hype going around, huh?

It's fun learning about new tech. But my biggest gripe is I don't know why one of these tools is better than another.

Take the AI writing category for example:

• Jasper

• Writer

• Copy.ai

• Rytr

• etc.

I did some light digging and couldn't figure out why I'd pick one over the other. Most just seem like a wrapper for OpenAI.

TBH, this is probably ok for the next year or so. The category is growing like crazy so everyone's just racing to acquire users as quickly as possible. Jasper's probably in the best position to win in the short-term just from their funding alone (they recently raised $125M while most others have gotten <$50M in funding).

But what about after AI writing becomes more commonplace?

That's when these companies will need to figure out how to differentiate. Otherwise why wouldn't users just buy the cheapest solution?

Time will tell.

How To Make 6-Figures as a Freelancing Product Marketer

The economy's in the toilet. Layoffs are happening left and right. It's probably a smart idea for Product Marketers to diversify their income.

So in this episode, Raechel Lambert joined us to explore all things freelancing. After personally figuring out what works and what doesn't as a PMM freelancer, she built a business helping other folks explore and take advantage of the opportunity. It's called Olivine Marketing, and it's a full-service agency for Product Marketing, Branding & Websites, and Sales Enablement.

We talk about the opportunities and risks of freelancing for companies in different stages of growth, market rates for PMM freelancers, how to get your first clients, and a lot more.

What’s Happening Now

• Many products under Costco's Kirkland brand are made by the same manufacturer as competing products that are also on Costco's shelf. But get this, Kirkland products must be at least 1% better than the equivalent branded products (on some metric of their choosing). In other words, Costco forces manufacturers to compete with a better version of themselves. More here.​

• This Czech automobile manufacturer, Škoda, figured out a way to advertise inside of their competitors' cars. Super clever campaign. More here.​

• Streetwear brand, Kith, launched their Spring 2023 collection with Bryan Cranston as their model. But this isn't the first time using famous older actors as models (Steve Buscemi modeled in Spring '22; Jerry Seinfeld in Fall '22). This helps them stand out from traditional streetwear brands, but it also ties into their positioning: "to be the rare streetwear brand that offers a point of entry for an older generation that might not be hyped on the latest Nike sneaker but has nostalgia for Star Wars or The Godfather." Brilliant. More here.​

• ​Andrew Davies, CMO at Paddle, shared this great example of a local coffee shop and how they differentiate against Starbucks on LinkedIn.

Advice From The Community

What do you do when a competitor talks 💩 about your company on social? Especially if the post is gaining traction and engagement!!

I've seen a lot of trash talk on LinkedIn lately, so I asked the Healthy Competition community what their thoughts were.
​
• Majority consensus: do nothing
• Minority consensus: escalate to executives and brainstorm if a response is necessary
​
My favorite comment though (and the one I agreed with most) came from Fiona Finn:

"I would probably kill them with kindness and a bit of humor out in the open 🙂 Either respond directly or have a leader respond in a super nice, funny, but direct way. People would probably expect passiveness or aggression, but human engagement is always nice to see play out and can help both brands!"

In other words, ditch the ego and think about your target audience. What would resonate most with them?

Over a dozen other folks weighed in though and had great takes. Join the conversation today in the Healthy Competition community

Have a great rest of your week 💚

-Andy