𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

In 2005, a 21-year-old British student named Alex Tew wanted to make enough money to pay for college.

He had no established business, no advertising audience, and no particular advantage over the thousands of websites already selling advertising space.

So he did something extraordinary.

He created a website containing one million pixels and offered them to advertisers for $1 apiece.

Businesses could purchase blocks of pixels to display tiny advertisements linking to their websites.

The idea was so unusual that newspapers began covering it. Visitors arrived out of curiosity. Advertisers followed.

Before long, Tew had sold every pixel, generating more than a million dollars.

But the real lesson isn’t about creativity.

I’ve seen marketing from both sides, first hiring copywriters and later teaching myself the craft. But what interests me most about Tew’s success isn’t his advertising. It’s how he changed the competition itself.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲.

Gary Gagliardi, interpreting Sun Tzu, teaches that attacking competitors where they’re strongest is usually a losing strategy.

Instead, look for openings where their advantages matter less.

Tew couldn’t compete with established websites on traffic, reputation, or advertising performance.

Instead of selling ordinary advertising space, he sold participation in an internet phenomenon.

Even better, every sale helped fill the website, giving visitors something new to see and journalists another reason to cover the story.

His unusual selling method helped generate demand for what he was selling.

When competitors have more money, better products, or stronger reputations, trying harder to beat them at their own game may be your worst move.

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲.

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