England is not the most tea drinking country in the world.
It is Turkey.
Already uncomfortable for a few people…
Speaking of Turkey, the bird turkey is named after the country.
Because it came to the West from there.
In Turkish it is called hindi, meaning Indian, because people thought it came from India.
In reality, its origin is South America.
Another one.
London does not get that much rain.
Less than Miami. Less than New York. Less than many cities people think of as sunny.
Yet ask anyone what comes to mind and you get the same answers every time.
Tea. Turkeys. Rain…
This is how perception works.
Facts exist. But they do not organise themselves in people’s heads. Stories do. Repetition does. Framing does.
Marketing lives in that gap.
Your product does not have to be the best in every category. It rarely is. Most products are second or third in something. Sometimes tenth. That is fine.
What matters is what people remember when the problem shows up.
If the story around you is clear, consistent, and easy to repeat, perception will do the heavy lifting.
Buyers will fill in the gaps themselves. Boards will nod. Procurement will relax. The conversation will move forward.
If the story is muddy, even perfect facts will not save you.
This is why positioning matters more than feature counts.
Why being known for one thing usually beats being capable of many.
Reality is built from facts.
Markets are built from perception.
And, you do not need to win every argument.
You need to be remembered for the right one.
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