Opening Act

If you've been in the same business for a while, often all you're conscious of are the successful advertising approaches in your field. As a result, you and your competitors are going after the same prospects in virtually the same way. (The cents-per-minute wars of long-distance phone services come to mind.) In some cases, this may be a perfectly acceptable way to get your fair share of the profits, live comfortably and avoid risky forays into uncharted territory. But if you're just keeping your head above water, your goal should be to break away from the pack, and your advertising needs to reflect that. This is another good reason to scout out advertising in industries far removed from your own for a possible way to shatter the mold.

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This article was originally published in the January 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Opening Act.