Why Faking It in Business Won’t Get You Far

The real reason people ignore your brand and what to do instead

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Some time ago, a zoo in China had a bit of a problem. They didn’t have zebras.

A normal response might have been, “Let’s fundraise, let’s partner with other zoos, let’s update the website and be transparent.”

But no. They went full theatre.

They took ordinary donkeys and painted stripes on them.

It was an attempt at “fake it ‘til you make it,” except they never made it. The visitors spotted the fraud faster than a toddler spots a chocolate biscuit stash.

Was it funny? Yes.

Effective? Not even a little.

That story about stripy donkeys is a perfect metaphor for what too many businesses are doing right now.

The Temptation of a Shortcut

People are trying to look like what they think success should be.

• The “luxury” brand that’s just drop-shipped trinkets wrapped in gold foil.
• The “expert” who bundled a course from Google searches.
• The startup promising the moon, while struggling to deliver Earth.