The business jungle is a busy place! In one guise or another, cats are everywhere! I’ve loved watching BBC One’s ‘Big Cats ‘ documentary and a wealth of other animal programmes like Planet Earth 11 as well as video footage from World Wildlife Fund and National Geographic. So I could not resist seeing how these wildcat ‘clawsome’ attributes could be applied to the human jungle where we live and work. We could certainly weave some of their weird and wonderful ways into our business stories and market positioning. We could mark our territories and send messages of love to those we want to attract!
Read on to see some interesting parallels between their world and ours. I am sure there is at least one cat in my wildcat big five whose cat characteristics we could copy in everything we do and say.
1. The Pallas’s Cat. Furball with attitude!
I love the Pallas’s Cat. Those yellow-green eyes say it all. Don’t mess with me or dare to come one step closer! Living in the cold and arid steppes and grasslands of Asia, this super-fluffy wildcat fearlessly holds its own in a dog eat dog world. They stalk their prey by impersonating a rock!
Wildcat wisdom: don’t get phased by people moving into your market space. Just stare them out! If all else fails, disguise yourself as a rock, then pounce! Competitors beware!
2. The Lion. King of the Jungle!
Majestic and powerful, what is not to love about lions? The 2nd largest big cat after the tiger, its roar is the loudest and can be heard five miles away. The laziest royal, it sleeps up to 20 hours a day. Very brave, it hunts in packs, suffering more fatalities from buffalo than any other adversary.
Wildcat wisdom: Be fearless and resolute but pick your battles, weighing up the opposition. Get your voice heard! Partner powerfully! Don’t get caught napping on the job!
3. The Fishing Cat. The cat with webbed feet!
Fishing cats have webbed feet and attract fish by gently tapping the water’s surface to mimic flies as well as diving headlong into the deep! Their double coated fur keeps them warm and dry in the water. They are adaptable, feeding on water and land animals including fish, shellfish, snakes, wild pigs and young fawn.
Wildcat wisdom: Be versatile and pragmatic when acquiring clients. Don’t be set in your ways! Hook in prospects with inventive and emotive marketing campaigns. Take a sink or swim attitude in order to survive and thrive!
4. The Cheetah. The world’s fastest land mammal!
Fast and loose, lean and keen, they can rev up faster than a sports car 112km/hour in just 3 seconds. As they run so fast, a cheetah chase can’t be sustained for too long, limited to 200-300m and lasting only a minute. They can turn on a sixpence, brake hard and quickly change direction. The cute black ‘tear stains’ on their faces prevent glare from the sun when hunting.
Wildcat wisdom: Conserve energy and plan campaigns carefully so you get the highest return on investment. Be prepared to change your content marketing direction if need be! You may look cute but you can give any competitor a run for its money!
5. Snow Leopard. The mountaineering cat!
These are one of the most mystical, beautiful and endangered cats. Their wide fur-covered paws act as snowshoes. Their huge fluffy tails give them balance to keep them warm. They can’t roar. Instead they growl, hiss and meow. They live alone, their lonely hearts attracting a mate by scent marking their territory. Take a walk on the wild side by watching this rare footage on this YouTube video. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05srprm Who could not fail to fall in love with one of these?
Wildcat wisdom: Play your cards close to your chest in your strategy, tactics and messaging. Write messages of love to attract the right audience! Then they will love you back!
So in the business jungle which cat are you? Are you brave, resolute, fast and loose, elusive? Do you have attitude? You can take inspiration from any of these 5 fantastic animals. But in the end, make sure you feel good in your own skin! There’s no other cat like you!
Katherine Ledger is a Content Marketer, business storyteller and the owner of Copy That Sells. If your story doesn’t reflect your true personality and heart towards your customers she’ll help you pan out your business’s gold nuggets and write them into marketing content which wins clients’ hearts. Reach her at copythatsells.co.uk , +44 (0) 7703 545117, Katherine@copythatsells.co.uk, https://uk.linkedin.com/in/katherineledger