I’m sure we’ve all heard of ugly duckling syndrome. (UDS)
The childhood tale is a story of growth and triumph for the poor ugly duckling, grey furred and black beaked in comparison to his sunshine yellow siblings – his ducky Mother wondering “Damn is that mine?” – eventually growing into a magnificent swan.
In real terms we refer to this blossoming as a syndrome amongst people. The girl you disregarded in secondary school for having buck teeth and frizzy hair that inevitably turns out to be a Victoria Secret model. Aside from being undoubtedly beautiful in later life, she always had a nice personality too.
It strikes again!
This rule applies not just to people but brands too. They begin small and don’t seem so shiny when standing toe to toe with their competitors, yet over time a magical thing happens when a brand/company flourishes into an industry leader.
The prime example of this is ASOS.com. I personally recall a time when I sat in my school uniform flicking through my teeny mags wondering “What is this ‘As Seen On Screen’ thing?”. Never did I imagine it would be my go-to point for any purchase I intended to make in the following ten years. ASOS.com is now the UK’s market leader in online fashion retailing. Offering it’s own reputable label, branded fashion and designer goods for both women and men.
As well as being a key provider within the world of fashion retail they have become a hub for interaction with the audience that are the DNA of the industry by introducing ASOS Marketplace and an Outfits & Looks section to their site. The site has incredible content due to the quality of stock which it sells through it’s e-commerce function, but it has also become the go-to point for fashion bloggers, enthusiasts and even your average Joe looking for a pair of vintage brogues.
Who would have thought? I know I certainly didn’t.
The brand continues to go from strength to strength by positioning themselves at the heart of high-street brands, high end designers and the masses that love the two, as well as continually improving their digital presence; the latest bit of tech being their slick new mobile site.
Excuse the low battery… but as you can see this latest development shows how far they have travelled on their brand journey and what a awe inspiring “swan” they now are.
When it comes to marketing a new business or investing efforts into an embryonic brand, ask yourself the following.
“Could this be the next big thing?”
… if the answer may be a yes, then focus yourself on making this reality. Begin the journey.
So here’s to the link builders who obtained a link from a site that had potential. Here’s to those that have seen a site that has grown into a powerful hub of authority and trust. A pat on the back for the brave girl who wasn’t afraid to admit she had a slight soft spot for Neville Longbottom who is now all kinds of good looking.
And a well done to investors and marketeers who spotted opportunities of beauty within an unpolished rock that, with a little hard work and scrubbing of the surface became a diamond.
These are just a few examples of the occurrence of UDS. Do any spring to mind for you? Who else has shed the shackles to become an outright beauty? We’d love to hear from you.
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