Disrupting with Purpose: What Could You Do That Your Competitors Wouldn’t Try?
“Disruption is not about doing something new, but about doing something old in a new way.” – Clayton Christensen, business theorist
Most marketers I know look at their competitors and say, if they do it – maybe that’s right. So, categories and brands blend into sameness.
Brands align.
Symbols are similar.
Sameness is normal.
Occasionally, a brand will emerge that sees the category and asks, what wouldn’t they do – and could it be meaningful to the clients I serve?
Could I disrupt with purpose?
Challenging Clients
I can be challenging, provocative, and pushy when consulting and engaging with prospective clients.
I ask them to explain to me how the category they are in operates.
What are the norms?
The conventions.
The rules.
Then we set out to ask what was missing. Who isn’t being served? How could we challenge convention and unlock value for an ignored segment? We notice the disruption to a pattern – not the pattern.
- Maybe everyone markets to men with images that appeal to men. Perhaps women are ignored.
- Perhaps the category has always been for women, but you know how to make it acceptable for men.
- If the language of your category is gentle, what happens when you are brash, bold, and a bit offensive?
Disrupting with Purpose
Disrupting with purpose means you intentionally ignore the rules and stand alone.
These four companies have found a way to take something old and make it new, fresh, and meaningfully different.
- Mighty Nest: Mighty Nest is a home organization brand that sells products designed to help people declutter and organize their homes. The company disrupted the home organization industry by offering a more stylish and functional alternative to traditional home organization products.
- Goodlife Foods: Goodlife Foods is a food delivery service that delivers healthy, pre-made meals to customers’ homes. The company disrupted the food delivery industry by offering a more convenient and healthier alternative to traditional food delivery services.
- Public Goods: Public Goods is a home goods brand that sells high-quality, affordable, sustainable products. The company disrupted the home goods industry by offering a more ethical and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional brands.
- Daily Harvest: Daily Harvest is a meal delivery service that delivers fresh, ready-to-eat meals to customers’ homes. The company disrupted the meal delivery industry by offering a fresh and unexpected approach to healthier alternatives to traditional meal delivery services.
Planning to enter a new market or serve a different consumer?
What will you be disrupting this week?
The origin of disrupt is a Latin word – disrumpere. To break apart.
What will you break this week?
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Dominik Vanyi on Unsplash
