Copycats are not loved in the market. We think of organizations that build really great stuff as innovators. The truth is that great companies also imitate to survive. Imitation is the critical component for human survival. Copycats looks at the art of imitation and blends innovation to conclude that a synergy between the two can yield great results.

Why is this important to me? I always want to ask this question as if I am sitting in your shoes. I don’t want to waste your time. Copycats can be used to enhance your business or any other field that you decide to pursue. Imitation is critical to our survival as humans. You know the old saying that actions speak louder than words. This is true because the human race has survived because of our ability to imitate and expand upon the actions of others. We can tell our children not to drink alcohol but if they see us doing it often then they will imitate our actions. Actions are much more powerful than words in this regard. Our ability to imitate has been facilitated by our ability to speak and understand language. The power of association yields phenomenal results in either direction depending on who you chose to associate with.

Copycats is a quick read and to best illustrate the points, I will give three examples to show the power of imitation, innovation and mash-ups.

1. Innovation – Is the introduction of something new. True innovators typically do NOT succeed. Novell is a software company that had innovative networking software when PC networks were just getting started. Their technology was very robust and reliable. They dominated the market. Today, they have very little market share in this space. They have been overtaken by the imitators even though their technology was better. Apple is seen as another market innovator. They innovate in all areas of their business including product, distribution, packaging and service.

2. Imitation – This is more prevalent than you think. You need to be careful who you imitate. Apple is a great imitator. The IPOD is basically a newer version of the Sony Walkman. Sony did the real innovation and Apple used its skill to imitate using better engineering and smarter marketing. This is a classic example of an imitator trumping the innovator.

3. Mash-ups – The real goal is to blend innovation and imitation. In Copycats, this is called imovation. A mash-up is basically a combination of things. Ray Charles was an excellent musician. He changed the landscape by combining Gospel with R&B. This was controversial and highly successful. Kid Rock has done the same thing. He blends Country, Rock and Roll and Rap to create unique music. These are great examples of imovation.

Copycats is a great book to prove that imitation needs to be a real strategy for every business. Imitation is not glorious and seen as lazy but the differentiator is Execution. McDonald’s spends tons of money on potential locations. They look for the best real-estate in the world so they can continue building their world class organization. Burger King takes advantage of this by building their restaurants in close proximity. It is much cheaper for BK to follow McDonald’s.

I hope you have found this short video summary useful. The key to any new idea is to work it into your daily routine until it becomes habit. Habits form in as little as 21 days. One thing you can take away from this book is the power of mash-ups. Look at businesses within and outside of your niche and take away the best things from them. Apple came up with the magnetic plug so if you trip over the cord, the laptop will NOT come off the desk. This was a huge feature that Steve Jobs took from the Oriental cooking industry. Copy catting at its best!