Our Own "Blue Ocean Strategy"

Have you heard of the book? It's not exactly new, but it was wildly successful just a short time ago. I picked it up again just recently and scanned back through the first few chapters. It's quite enlightening.

Here's the "cliff notes" version from my perspective ...... when marketing your brand, don't go where all of your competitors are already fighting it out. Go to a new space, an uncharted space where you can really stand out and win. Go to a big, expansive blue ocean where all is clear.

Some might call it going out of the box but it's even bigger than that. Going to uncharted territory is big thinking that can often be scary and risky. But when successful, the rewards can be huge.

Our agency just recently had our own blue ocean experience that resulted in a big new business win. And while we didn't ever call it a "blue ocean strategy" in the process, we did sub-consciously go to a whole new space in the category. We dove into a big blue ocean.

Can't divulge the brand or client, because it's a new product that has not launched yet. I can tell you that it's in a highly competitive consumer category, where there are multiple brands already fighting for attention and share. All playing the same game, all making the same noise, all swimming in the same pool.

In the new business pitch, we came in with a totally different approach, knowing full well that we were taking a risk.

It wasn't rocket science, but it did allow the brand to play in a different space, in a different way than all the other competitors in the category.

Score! The client loved it and awarded us the business. And we had a blast in the process. If all goes well, I'm sure it will become among the best of the agency's work ever.

Doin' the butterfly!

Hope this finds you well -- Jim.