Disruptive technology is changing the industry landscape: impacting the economy, creating fierce competition and shifting the consumer behaviour. With a click of a button, consumers now more than ever, have the power of choosing when, how and why they purchase products. Businesses that fail to recognise and address the needs of their tech-savvy consumers, will soon be replaced by contemporary companies, which thrive in disruptive innovation and creative solutions.

Brands like Tesla, Uber, Visa and Apple remain relevant because they are always pushing boundaries, opening doors and creating more personalised products that tailor to the needs of their customers. With AI, machine learning and big data, these disruptive brands will continue to evolve and challenge the market place, without losing sight of their customers and their brand identity.

‍

What does it mean to be a disruptive brand?

To be a disruptive brand, you are always breaking rules and creating new ones because you like to be a game changer.

It’s not just about creating cool products; it’s also about challenging and reinventing your entire industry standards, from your business models, customer experiences, processes, resources and growth tactics.

Your brand is not afraid of change and it knows in order to create innovative solutions; collaborative and customer-centric approach is the only way that can help your brand fly in places that fuels magic.

You remain loyal to your brand values and identity but at the same, you are not afraid to shed old skin to create new ones in order to grow and stay relevant. Your brand always stays present but keeps an eye on the future and ear to the past.

‍

Fabrik: Every time someone experiments with a new idea, and that concept earns the attention and respect of an audience, a “disruptive brand” is born.

‍‍

Here are 8 tips on how to create and sustain a disruptive brand:

1. Identify a gap in the marketing:Understanding your consumer will ensure that you create ideas that engage them. Outline your brand’s demographic-what values and needs do your consumers have?‍

2. Conduct a competitive analysis: Understanding your industry will help you to position yourself within the market. Identify your competitors so that you can compete with them effectively.‍

3. Develop a product: Your product should always align with your brand mission. If you are not sure, here are some sample questions you should always ask: Does my product challenge boundaries and create change? Is my product sustainable and agile? Can my product provide a solution for not just one pain-point my customer is experiencing? Do we have the resources, technology, and processes in place to service this product to our customers?‍

4. Align it with your brand mission: Often innovative brands emerge due to the founder(s) noticing a gap in the market. Highlight the mission of your brand at the beginning of your journey, to test if your end results capture your intended purpose.‍

5. Market Test your product: Gather feedback to help you refine your idea(s). Collaborate with other innovative people to challenge your decisions and create the best solution(s).‍

6. Launch Product Network: Attend or exhibit at an event within your industry. Network and demonstrate that you understand your product in depth (make it relatable). If you promote your own event ensure that you create an Audience Segmentation Strategy to help you explain the value (link it back to step 1)?‍

7. Measure and optimise: Build, expand and agile with market changes. Feed insights back into your targeting strategy. As your brand evolves have these steps in mind, as it is an on-going cycle.‍

8. Be disruptive: Continue to challenge industry standards and don’t let your customers settle for less.