November 10, 2023 |

Marketing Blue Sky: A little better is better than nothing

Stay in the Loop

Get practical marketing insights, branding tips, and growth strategies delivered straight to your inbox.

Subscribe

There’s an old story/joke about being chased by a bear.


The punch line goes something like this… “I don’t have to be the fastest. I just have to be faster than one of you.”


And that idea plays pretty well in the marketing world as well.


We all want to be first. To do things “perfectly.” And let’s face it… it’s pretty fun to “win.”

But in marketing, often the gap between being on top and being a solid player in the game can be significant.


And there is often a LOT of blue sky in just putting in a little bit of effort.


See, we all have the tendency to think that in order to “win” we need to be perfect. “Everyone else is doing so well! How can we even compete?”


But the reality is that there’s a lot of success to be mined in that space between perfection and the bare minimum.


As an example, Coke is certainly the industry leader when it comes to cola-flavored soft drinks. But Pepsi still does pretty big business in the space. And Blue Sky has carved out a nice little niche for itself in the market.


Does Blue Sky need to crush Coke and Pepsi to “win?” Absolutely not.


So, when you think about all the competition in your space, there’s a lot of opportunity in just doing a *little* better than someone else. And there are a lot of “someone else’s” out there that you can outpace without having to strive for perfection.



Remember, you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be a *little* bit better than the others.


Let us know how you’ve discovered the power of striving for improvement over perfection in the marketing world by dropping us a line. Share your experiences and insights on how being ‘a little bit better’ can lead to success. Your journey might inspire others to find their unique path to excellence.

Thoughtful strategy. Practical execution.

Clear thinking, honest perspectives, and experience shaped by years of doing the work. No shortcuts, no borrowed opinions, just lessons learned by showing up, solving problems, and following ideas all the way through.

Hands holding a tablet displaying a video player interface. The video is paused.
February 20, 2026
In case you hadn’t seen these (and also for my friends at Adventure Film ), here are a couple of must-see running movies from Joel Wolpert:  Geoff Roes: Slogging to the Top
Runner in blue and red gear sprints across grassy terrain, mountains in background, cloudy sky.
October 27, 2015
Guess who’s back. Back again. ~ Eminem  Still working out some kinks in the site but hoping to be more active and on the regular up in this joint. Quick catch up: 2013: NYC was a bust. I experienced a heel problem which led to a hamstring problem and I shut down my quest for an NYC finish. At least for now. The remainder of 2013 was spent trying to get uninjured. 2014: Injuries persisted in 2014. When the heel/hammy started feeling ready to run again, I broke my ankle bouldering. Literally came off the wall a foot and a half off the ground and popped my ankle. Whee. So more recovery and I pretty much switched to riding mountain bikes for the year. 2015: Back at it in 2015. Running pretty well. A bit off my game from day’s past but still having fun. Even entered a few races which didn’t go well. Just trying to figure things out and stay happy/healthy. More to come, I promise. ~stubert.
Person fixing a flat tire on a mountain bike outdoors; green helmet, tan shirt, shorts.
August 24, 2013
I hurt myself today . ~ N.I.N. Ah the Tabata. Some people hate them, others love them. In the moment, they can be the bane of my existence but after rocking out a few sets, I really tend to notice the benefits. For the uninitiated, a Tabata can be applied to virtually any exercise type (cycling; swimming; push-ups; chess, I assume) but since I am a runner, I tend to knock these out while running. Go figure. Here’s the formula: Go as hard as you can for 20 seconds Rest for 10 seconds Repeat 8 times Feel free to do multiple sets Four minutes (per set) of activity doesn’t sound like much, but if done correctly, these can really help boost your fitness. I tend to replace strides with one Tabata on Fridays and will work in multiple sets as part of my Tuesday interval training. Just keep good form, really work the 20s and you’ll reap the benefits. ~stubert.