Ever heard of “schismogenesis“?

Well, I hadn’t until Seth Godin mentioned it in his blog a few weeks ago.

Weeks ago, and I kept thinking about how it affects us as marketers.

The term breaks down as you’d expect: schism (division) + genesis (beginning).

It describes how groups define themselves in opposition to each other, with the differences becoming more extreme over time.

Democrats vs. Republicans. Apple vs. Android. 

Coke vs. Pepsi. 

CrossFit vs. everyone else who exercises.

The more one side embraces a position, the harder the other side runs in the opposite direction. Positions harden. Middle ground disappears.

While this phenomenon explains much of the current cultural and political polarization we’re seeing around the world, it also holds a big lesson for product makers.

Most of us have been trained to create products with max appeal. We aim for the mushy middle, hoping to attract the largest possible audience.

But this approach has become ridiculously outdated.

In a fractured marketplace like we have now, the middle is often the worst place to be. It’s where products go to be ignored, if not completely unseen.

Think about Harley-Davidson. They’ve never tried to appeal to everyone who might want transportation. Harley has built a brand that speaks exclusively to a specific type of rider, with values and aesthetics that intentionally alienate others. That’s the whole idea.

Or look at Patagonia, which has built its brand identity around environmental activism. They know this stance repels some potential customers – and are totally fine with that.

These brands understand something that’s only become more important with how the social pendulum has swung: when you stand for something specific, you create an in-group.

You give peeps a tribe to join.

You provide identity, something way beyond mere utility.

In I Need That, I wrote about how great products fulfill needs beyond their functional purpose. The most powerful products help fulfill our deep human need for identity and belonging. They become badges that signal our membership in a particular group.

This is where schismogenesis becomes a strategic advantage.

By clearly defining who your product is NOT for, you make it way clearer who it IS for.

You create contrast. You give your ideal customers something to rally around – and rally against. (Both of which are good, trust me.)

This doesn’t mean manufacturing fake controversies or taking political stances unrelated to your product’s purpose.

It DOES mean having the courage to make clear choices about your product’s values, aesthetics, and functionality that will naturally attract some people and repel the ones who won’t love your product.

Product Payoff: I love how Yeti coolers blew up a boring product category by deliberately positioning against the cheap coolers almost everybody used. With prices starting at 5-10 times competitors, they sure weren’t trying to appeal to casual picnickers. Their brand celebrated serious outdoor enthusiasts who valued extreme durability and insulation performance. Yeti’s higher price didn’t only deliver better margins. It became part of the value prop, creating a badge of membership for their target customers. (Now ultra-premium coolers are a whole category that never remotely existed before, and guess who leads it!)

Action for today: Take your ideal customer description and add a “DEFINITELY not for” section. Who should absolutely NOT buy your product, no matter what? What values or preferences would make someone a complainer (which also means customer support time-waster and writer of one-star reviews)? Then check your marketing messages — are you sending mixed signals by trying to appeal to those guys?

Start to clarify your position this week, even if it means turning some people away.

You really don’t want those buyers.

Have you seen examples of brands effectively using schismogenesis to their advantage? Or products that face-planted by trying to please everyone? Tap that reply arrow and share your thoughts.

I ALWAYS write back, regardless of your views.

Or reach out to my amazing team of product positioning specialists at Graphos Product.