Tuesday 21 September 2010

Disrupt

Being disruptive pays. Following the pack does not. At least not for most people. (See Contrarian or Follower.)

Starbucks – was a disruptor as it changed the habits of a generation (as did FaceBook, Google and so on). But what is new today becomes old tomorrow. Today’s revolutionaries are tomorrow’s Old Guard.


A great disruptor doesn’t just do more than interrupt; it can change the face of the landscape. This is particular true of the customer experience.


Starbucks changed how and where we socialise, Amazon... So while we can quote the big disruptors I think that we can all disrupt, especially if on a smaller stage.


You can zig when they zag. Go against the traffic. Challenge the notion of “that’s how we do it around here”.


Depending on your marketplace, think what would happen if you:

  • Charged by ‘results only’
  • Let customers decide what to pay
  • Only work online or by phone
  • Charged per 5 minute slots…


I am sure you get where I am coming from.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes - too many small businesses follow and don't try to bemore ambitious.

Enough.

Vive La Revolution

Pat

Anonymous said...

Maybe this is just a covert piece of self-promotion?

jez

Anonymous said...

On second thoughts I can see that my comments here were hiding behind anonymity so I rertract them.

This is, to be honest, a highly visible campaign and RC/DC are not being devious. You can collow RC's contrarian/follower in the Brighter Marekting book so nothing new here. Just a rehash of the purple cow philosophy (which was probably just a rehash of USPs etc etc

jez

Johnny R said...

PUNK business is what we want. To create, destroy!!!

But not such a bad idea if you think about it.

Nick said...

But how many can disrupt? and isn't the considered thinking to just nick someone else's idea and modify it a bit, nothing too radical.

Jerry McG said...

See next post and one after it.

Anonymous said...

Or as my old creative director Steve Harrison put it 'relevant abruption'.

Too mnay businesses, too many marketing campaigns seek unwittingly or not, to blend in with the herd.

www.ideaswise.com

Jerry McG said...

See next post and one after it.

Nick said...

But how many can disrupt? and isn't the considered thinking to just nick someone else's idea and modify it a bit, nothing too radical.

Anonymous said...

Maybe this is just a covert piece of self-promotion?

jez