Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevant - always yours

DEFINING AND MANAGING THE CATEGORY OR SUBCATEGORY 265
Create Advocates
A substantial or transformational innovation also has the potential
to gain some early adopters who are not only attracted to the
offering but also have some ownership due to the fact that they
“ discovered ” it or at least were among the fi rst to recognize its
potential. These intensely loyal believers and followers who
become advocates can be powerful both in the short term and
in the long run. The Chrysler wagon was such a welcome contributor
to the lifestyle of families that they named it the Magic
wagon and talked about it.
To create advocates, it is necessary to get trial use, to get
potential loyalists to try the offering. Retailers such as Muji,
Ikea, Starbucks, Zara, H & M, Best Buy, and Whole Foods
Market can demonstrate their value proposition and personality
directly in the locality in which they have presence. Others
can create demonstration opportunities. The Disklavier, for
example, was available in various venues for people to see and
try out.
To fully leverage advocates, it is worthwhile to support them
and their activities. The design competition at Muji invo lves not
only the participants but also those involved in the Muji culture.
Some firms successfully nurture social networks. From the
Saturn dealer BBQs to the Apple user groups, to the Internet -
based social groups, there is an opportunity to provide energy
and activity to the advocate group.
Manage Innovation
The category or subcategory, if successful, will be a target for
competitors who will aspire to gain credibility. If the category
or subcategory is static, the task becomes more feasible and the
likelihood that competitors will become relevant or that they
will even exceed expectations by adding a feature or benefi t or
extending the performance levels increases.