Are disruptive brands the most innovative businesses in the world, or are they the ones most susceptible to failure?
When assessing the most successful brands of the last decade, one term always seems to crop up. The label was formerly reserved for the kid who couldn’t keep still in the classroom – that is, of course, ‘disruptive’.
Disruptive brands are the ones that customers have flocked to side with, and they’re the ones that seemingly never stop growing. In this blog, however, we will put disruptive brands under the spotlight and break down what it means to be given that much-coveted label.
So, whether you’re looking to build a brand of your own or interested in learning a little more, we suggest you hang around.
What is a disruptive brand?
The term ‘disruptive brands’ almost appeared overnight and is here with us to stay. But, do you know what makes a disruptive brand?
There isn’t a genuine description to label one brand as disruptive as one as classical. So you’re not going to win a debate with them, but if you’re able to understand what makes a brand fall into the bracket, at least you can make your mind up for yourself.
A brand could be labelled as disruptive if it creates a new product or service that previously hadn’t been available to the potential customer.
Or if a brand offers a revitalised and reinvented product that significantly improves the customer’s experience.
To add a little more thought to it. A disruptive brand isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of what is the norm. They upset the apple cart, and they do all they can to meet the needs of their customers. It’s vital to remember that as technology advances, so do the expectations of the savvy shoppers looking for a deal.
To disruptors, taking part isn’t an incentive; it’s all about changing the game and winning the hearts of the consumer. The true beauty of disruptive companies staying hot on the tail of technological advances is that it forces the others in the sector to improve too. Those that fail to evolve will usually be forced into submission due to not providing what the customer needs.
Branding at Create8
At Create8, building disruptive brands is something we do. Our team of branding and design experts in Manchester get to work on every branding project that comes through our door, and the possibilities are limitless.
If you’re an entrepreneur with a game-changing idea, why not get in touch to find out how we could help you bring that idea to life.
Pros of building a disruptive brand
When it comes to building a disruptive brand, there are plenty of positives and negatives to take into account.
If it were easy, we would all have left our jobs and built a business that defines a generation, but it doesn’t work like that. The truth is, when you assess the sector that you want to operate in, you will have to dig twice as deep to identify an area that can be your company’s niche.
So, let’s talk about what your business can expect if you manage to find a sector to disrupt.
Lack of Competition
One of the great benefits of building a disruptive brand is that you are able to put your product or service in front of a wide-open market.
If you can spot the space for innovation, you’ll likely be the first to create a business in that void. It doesn’t mean competition won’t follow, but the best innovators stay on top.
Take Airbnb, for example; the hotel retail giant became a global phenomenon without ever owning a hotel. Simply by providing a service that suited the masses, Airbnb became a household name in a super quick time.
Growth Opportunities
If your business has already been able to notice a gap in the market, likely, your foresight won’t stop there. Voids constantly appear as new technology finds its way into our palms, and so too do the genuine growth opportunities.
Sometimes, the chances that appear may be based on reinventing your service to fit another marketplace. The best example of this happening is with the global taxi provider, Uber. Six years after Uber’s original offering of an automated taxi service was thought up, they returned to grow into a new sector with the formulation of Uber Eats. Primarily based on their current offering, Uber was able to move into a leadership position in a second sector. Strategically, brilliant.
Customer-focused
One of the main positives behind creating a disruptive brand is that they are incredibly customer-focused. The whole ethos behind building a brand to be a disruptor is to provide the customer with something currently missing from the sector. We know that business isn’t the playground at school and that being liked isn’t all that important, but people will still need to like you to be a disruptor!
Being a thought leader
Another positive that many businesses overlook is that being a disruptor, positions your brand as a thought leader. Brands that change a sector’s landscape are often revered, not only by their customers but also by the competition, as they force evolution from which everyone can benefit.
It goes without saying that there are also negatives to consider when building a disruptive brand. You didn’t think it was going to be all sunshine and rainbows, did you?
Identify, listen, adapt
If you wish to position your brand as a disruptive brand, it’s essential that you understand your decisions will largely be guided by what your audience wants.
Let’s be honest, this should be the case in most sectors, and for most businesses, but for some, it isn’t! For example, if you build your own fashion brand, you may look to do something edgy that suits your tastes. That simply won’t work as a disruptor; you must identify the gap, listen to your audience and adapt your idea to suit their needs. It’s time to open those ears, entrepreneurs.
Expensive
The most significant negative to building a disruptive brand is that it can cost a lot to finance the technology and growth needed to shake up a sector.
Most disruptive companies have relied heavily on pitching their idea to potential investors and obtaining the necessary funding in that way. However, it’s always going to be difficult to talk someone into investing their hard-earned cash into something completely new. So take your time and connect all the dots before jumping into the deep end.
Technological advances
As well as propping up the disruptor mentality, technology can also equally be its downfall. Why’s that? You may be thinking. Well, if you’re halfway through building an entirely game-changing idea and the technology changes (meaning that your vision can be bettered), you could be in a lot of trouble. If you’ve already invested heavily with time and money, you’ll need to rethink your concept ASAP!
Building a disruptive brand is totally attainable, especially if you put plenty of thought into how much the development of the brand is going to cost. You’ll need to understand the landscape of the sector you plan on entering and have an in-depth knowledge of what your potential clients are going to want. If you spend your time getting to know the audience, you won’t go far wrong when you take the leap of faith.
At Create8, building unique, thought-provoking and striking brands is a huge part of our daily workload. There’s not much we enjoy more than receiving a project that aims to shake up a sector and disrupt the stalwarts within the industry. Our team of brand design experts love a challenge, and if that sounds like what your brand is going to provide, then why not give us a call?
Have a look around our site to find everything from bespoke branding packages to mind-blowing website design and marketing material like you’ve never seen before. If anything catches your eye, simply contact us on the link below.
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