Differentiator for Brand Category Leadership

If you do not have market leadership, try finding a category that you are a sales leader in. In every category, there usually are sub-categories that are dominated by different players. If there aren’t, you can create your own. It is one way to build a brand. We talked about that extensively in our previous book.
Just look at every major category. Each is typically dominated by one big player. But you can also find leaders in sub-categories. The software category is dominated by Microsoft. While Microsoft can lay claim to overall sales leadership — The No. I Software Brand — other players, too, can make similar claims.
Oracle can claim to beThe No, I Database Software Brand. That is category sales leadership. SAP is the sales leader in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. Siebel is the leader in customer relationship management (CAM) software. Linux can claim to be the No. 1 open source operating system brand. Intuit is tops in financial software. Symantec is the leader in virus software. ACT! is No, 1 in contact software.
You do not have to be the overall No, 1 to claim sales leadership if you have made a mark in your own niche. That niche may be small now but it can grow, and when it grows, your brand will grow along with it.