What is Disruptive Marketing?

Who said that doing things the traditional way is always the best way? Sticking to anything for too long might lead to stagnation. Change is required for the future success of any business.

New technologies, as well as fast-changing customer expectations and attitudes, require new approaches in marketing. Disruptive marketing is beginning to gain popularity. Disruptive marketers put new tactics to the test and win. 

Let’s take a look at disruptive marketing definition, some great real-world examples, and tips for your business.

What is Disruptive Marketing?

Disruptive marketing involves experiments with methods of promotion that are diametrically opposed to what has previously been done. Disruptive marketing employs novel techniques and a hands-on approach to work, it embraces fresh ideas and new solutions. Unlike traditional marketing, disruptive marketing takes advantage of everything that other marketers haven’t tried previously.

Why is it Important?

Disruptive marketing methods are important because they help businesses stand out in an increasingly competitive market, with rising customer expectations, and technological innovation.

Benefits:

• You’ll be ready to take advantage of new opportunities as they come

When you’re open to fresh ideas and innovation, you’re preparing yourself for future opportunities that may not exist now. 

•  You’ll refine your own processes along the way

When we take a step back to assess current market share and potential solutions to customer needs, we must also assess our own processes to see how we can better adapt, alter, or improve in order to deliver better service, product, or cause disruption in our industry. Internally, identifying new areas for improvement is a critical step in remaining relevant and being able to quickly adapt to a changing industry.

• Your business will grow in size and/or find its niche

Look for an opportunity based on changing customer behavior in response to traditional industries. Don’t be concerned if the opportunity appears to be declining and not expanding market share or margin at first. Disruptive marketing approaches may not appear appealing to larger, more traditional organizations, but can overcome the former models with volume and scale.

5 Tips That Will Help to Create Your Own Disruptive Marketing Strategy

Know your industry

You must first identify what you intend to disrupt before developing a disruptive marketing strategy. 

Consider a market weakness or a group of potential customers whose requirements aren’t being met. Then, look for areas where your brand can fill a gap in the market and either build something new or make significant enhancements. 

Know your customer

After you’ve figured out what’s going on in your industry, you’ll need to understand what customers want. Remember that today’s customers expect their favorite brands to understand their requirements and expectations. Customers nowadays have more power than ever before. Changing demands and attitudes dictate what businesses produce, how they do it, and how they market it. Customers are not only interested in the product or service anymore. They want to know that your business has a positive impact on the environment, or at least does not have a negative one. Do the research, create a buyer’s persona, and act on it.

Act differently

One of the most important things to keep in mind when creating disruptive marketing campaigns is that your goal is to do something that will help you stand out from your competitors. Once you’ve identified a market weakness, uncovered leads, or competitive advantage, promote the product or service in a unique way. That isn’t to say you should be unique just for the purpose of being unique. While your marketing approach should be different, it should also be effective and useful.

Don’t lose yourself 

Don’t get lost in the process of developing disruptive marketing strategies. Some companies are so focused on creating a buzz in the industry that they create campaigns that do not reflect their values and beliefs. People expect to see the same distinctive characteristics that persuaded them to stay with your brand. When actions do not match statements, customers are unsatisfied. Make sure you stay true to your brand’s vision and mission when developing a new disruptive marketing strategy.

Stand for what is important to you

Choose a problem that is important to you and that you can solve with your consumers. Make it a goal of yours to address an issue. One of the simplest ways to amplify your brand voice in the oversaturated market is to stand for something that matters to your customers. Remember that taking a stand can help you mobilize your consumers’ community support and build a sense of affinity among your customers.

Examples

“Share a Coke” campaign by Coca-Cola

In the summer of 2011, Coca-Cola was in desperate need of a disruptive idea that would hit the news, grab the nation’s attention, and increase Coke consumption in Australia. “Share a Coke” was the name of the resulting ad campaign. By replacing Coke logos on bottles and cans with the 150 most popular monikers in Australia, the first-of-its-kind campaign honored the power of the first name in a fun and social way. And it was successful. 

In a country with a population of just under 23 million people, Coke sold more than 250 million named bottles and cans that summer. Since then, the campaign has spread throughout the globe, reaching more than 70 countries to date. “Share a Coke” hit the sweet spot by making customers famous through the world’s most iconic brand.

Tate – 1840s GIF Party

The Tate Britain museum wanted to engage more with its fans on social media. They came up with an interesting campaign that literally brought great works of art to life. The campaign, dubbed the 1840s GIF Party, was intended to promote Tate Britain’s 1840s gallery. The aim was to convert 1840s artworks into animated GIFs. Tate commissioned various artists to make GIFs that would serve as public inspiration, and then announced an open call for unique submissions. 

The 1840s GIF Party drew a lot of attention from the press and generated a lot of buzz on social media. More than 500 people participated in the digital initiative, with some of the entries being re-blogged more than 100,000 times on social media. It’s also worth mentioning that a large portion of the participants was from overseas, resulting in international press coverage.

How is Disruptive Technology Relevant to Marketing

Consumer behavior, operational technology, and the entire marketing ecosystem are now all impacted by emerging disruptive technologies. Marketing is already influenced by AI, machine learning, analytics, and automation. 

Brands can now create ultra-personalized messages thanks to rapidly evolving AI and strong analytics. Targeted advertising is now a major revenue generator for social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, but in the future, advertising messages will be personalized to your profile and past interactions. 

Marketing costs money, and large-scale marketing campaigns, particularly in B2B marketing, impose a strain on a company’s bottom line. Marketing simulations will become more accessible and commonplace as a result of disruptive technology. More marketers will be able to derive objectivity from their subjective decisions, resulting in more accurate marketing campaigns. This advantage will benefit not just the stressed bottom line, but also the top line.

When it comes to technological disruption, the uncomfortable matter of human redundancy always comes up. Marketing has traditionally been governed by a few individuals who made all of the decisions based on their experience, approach, and creativity. However, marketing managers will be left with two duties as a result of AI and analytics: strategy and creativity. Humans will be in charge of creativity, while machines are in charge of analysis.

Conclusion

Every industry will continue to be affected by disruptive innovation. It’s vital to look for new techniques to attract new customers, and never stop looking for new ways to innovate and develop. Disruptive marketing concepts allow businesses to take a step back and evaluate their current products and services, identifying areas that may be improved, consumer requirements that could benefit from a creative solution, and more. By using all or part of these concepts, you may discover that your company is not only thriving in the industry but also completely transforming the way things are done.