Be an early adopter of new advertising channels before competitors catch on
New advertising platforms offer lower costs and less competition before they become mainstream. Meeting customers where they are searching, before competitors do, creates a distribution advantage.
When to use
When a new advertising platform or channel emerges and your target customers are likely to use it
Don't do this
Waiting for channels to become proven before investing, then competing against established players with higher costs
3 Founders Who Did This
Launched on Airtable's marketplace immediately after they opened it, before competitors arrived
Became early sponsor of tech podcasts (This Week in Startups) when podcast advertising was an emerging channel, reaching startup founders directly
Adopted Google AdWords in 2002 when few enterprise software companies used search advertising. Met prospects at moment of need when searching for developer tools.