The reason why the thought exercise behind Cultivation Strategy #5 (Curation) is: Be the Most Trusted Name for News About _____________________

is because behind that exercise lies one of the whole goals of marketing.

You want to, as Al Ries and Jack Trout point out most famously in “Positioning: The Battle for your Mind,”

Own the Word in the mind of your community (not just your customers, but anyone you meet).

IF you own the word, then, when the time comes that they need you (or a friend needs you), you are “top of mind.”

There are many ways to Own the Word.

Let me give you an example.

A few weeks ago, I was looking to do some (pretty cool, I thought) innovative mobile marketing for a client.

Through the network, I was introduced to the team at Icon Mobile.

We went back and forth in the typical discovery process, but eventually, Lauren Brown, basically came out and said, “I don’t think the amount it would cost to do this solution is going to be worth it for you or your client.”

I thought about it…and she was right.

Because of her, I went back and reconfigured the solution.

But, more important than that, over the course of the back-and-forth, she had demonstrated her knowledge and expertise in mobile solutions.

And her advice?

That earned my trust.

Together, that means Icon Mobile now owns the word for “mobile development.”

To be the “most trusted name in news about ___________” is not just about focusing on news/info, but also TRUST.

Two parts to this equation.