Use counterprogramming techniques to buck your industry’s latest trends and stand out from your competitors.

When the fad of the day has everyone else in your nitch running to put in place the same tired plan, try using counterprogramming to snatch up customers whose needs are not being met. But what, you ask, is counterprogramming?

Counterprogramming is an age-old strategy used by radio stations, television networks, and movie studios to attract audiences for whom their competitors’ offerings may not be so appealing. It’s the reason why the DIY Network (SNI) aired a knitting program and Animal Planet ran its Puppy Bowl opposite the Super Bowl last February. Similar counterprogramming efforts are playing against NBC’s (GE) Olympics broadcast from Beijing.

Not surprisingly, the counterprogramming principle works in other aspects of business, too.

/blockquote>

For example, quick-service restaurants have been on the defensive for years. This began when increasing numbers of health-conscious consumers began questioning the high calorie count and questionable nutritional value of the typical fast-food meal. It gathered momentum with high-profile criticism from consumer advocacy groups and from Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 documentary, Super Size Me. Now cities across the nation have launched crusades against trans fats, and Los Angeles wants to ban fast-food restaurants from even opening their doors in its poorest neighborhoods. Clearly, the trend is not working in the fast-feeders’ favor, and such industry leaders as McDonald’s (MCD) and Taco Bell (YUM) have introduced healthier fare.

Not Carl’s Jr. The chain recently introduced a 730-calorie, 47-fat-grams “Monster Breakfast Sandwich” with the tagline: “Breakfast as Big as Our Burgers.” For several years, Carl’s Jr. has defied industry trends by touting the size and sloppiness of its sandwiches. While competitors pursue a growing segment of nutrition-conscious consumers, Carl’s Jr. proudly serves fast food’s heaviest users (no pun intended): hungry young men. The company’s “countermarketing” strategy has enabled it to stand out in a crowded fast food field.

Source: BusinessWeek