Against “Like Them, but Better”

I came across a short post on @iamgregb (I assume by Greg B) titled “Like Them, but Better.” It’s Not. In the post, he makes the case against “[a] social media strategy focused entirely on the competition,” explaining that “I want to choose your product because it’s a unique proposition” rather than because it is not a different project. As the author of The Positive Case for Good Tech, I could not agree more, and state that “I am Greg B” in the “I am Spartacus” sense. I will add an additional reason to advise against defining ones product in terms of what it is not rather than what it is Because iamgregb uses Proton as an example, I will follow suit and in so doing assume arguendo that his description of Proton’s negative advertising is accurate. I do not need to be persuaded that Google handling my personal email is undesirable, and I assume that the same is true for most people considering Proton. Thus, given that I am already the “target audience,” I would want to know what makes Proton’s email offering good in and of itself rather than in comparison to something I am not interested in using. Thus, that sort of negative marketing does not move me at all. A positive case can reach people who feel “stuck” on Google or one big tech solution or another as well as people who are already using different options.

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