Whether you’re a brand marketer or a business owner, there is one thing that you become aware of – reaching your consumers is becoming increasingly difficult. This problem is exaggerated in the modern age, with the rise of social media and as we are continued to be faced everyday with media saturation. So how can we achieve disruption in this crowded business environment that we work in?
Think of your business as a brand
By creating a brand for your business, you’re not just defining yourself to your employees and customers – you’re setting yourself up with core values, a personality, a set of beliefs, and a way of talking that will distinguish your business from many others who may be offering a very similar product or service. It’s critical to understand what your brand stands for and your brand’s purpose. If you are unclear, then defining this needs to be your first task.
Ensure your business is relevant
During the process of defining your business as a brand, you’ll need to ensure your brand is relevant, resonates and stands out in the market that it operates in. If it’s not distinctive it won’t stand out. You then need to have the courage to make the bold moves to ensure it is relevant. Reassess your business plan – Are you offering a service or product that consumers want or need? How are you different from your competitors?
Disrupt your market with purpose
Disruption is not simply about doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing. For your brand to disrupt, it’s important to have a well-defined purpose. You want your business to be defined by your own actions, not others. The purpose becomes the guiding principles for how your brand disrupts in your market – and more specifically what elements we choose to disrupt, to challenge, and to change for the future of the market in which you play.
Do things differently
Customers love unexpected positives. Go above and beyond with customer service, even if you’re not in the service industry. If they expect to receive a product in 3 days, you could send it express post so they receive it the next day. Under promise and over deliver. Don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth and positive feedback for gaining repeat business, especially with the current reach and influence of social media.
Create something new
Whether it’s a new process to streamline communications with your clients or a new app to enhance user experience of shopping your brand, this ‘something new’ may be another notch on your belt to help you stand out from the crowd. Of course, in doing so, your core product or service must first be up to scratch. There’s no merit in having the worst product or service with the best processes.
Embrace change
It is important to accept that change is crucial for business success. Being agile and always moving a step ahead of your competitors will help you to drive your success. Chances are, if you believe your business is perfect, you can make it better and if it’s broken, you can fix it. Keep giving your consumers something to talk about so that your business is front of mind and talked about. Constant change ensures your brand gets noticed and achieves its goals.
Ultimately, whether your business is product or service based, disrupting your market is no easy task and it’s becoming more difficult all the time. There are a number of factors to consider in how to achieve disruption, try a combination of them to see what works best for your business.
