This is a go-to-market approach used by brands in crowded, blurry, boring market categories.

The recipe:

• Find a category that is stale and is blurry – where all players operate in a similar way

• Use a brand-focused differentiator to stand out.

Examples:

• Virgin Airlines in long-haul travel (1990s)

  • Did everything to look ‘fun’

    • More risque uniforms

    • In-flight entertainment for all, which was usually reserved for business-class travel

• Liquid Death in the packaged water market

  • Packaged like an energy drink, branded with fun adverts.

  • Appeals to category outsiders

    • Construction workers grabbing a drink from 7/11 on a break

    • Teenagers who think water is boring

Possible Advantages:

• Identifying a boring market category first makes it easier to stand out

• Able to attract new buyers who were never served by the category

Possible Disadvantages:

• Mature markets benefit economies of scale.

  • Older players may have a cost advantage allowing them to profit without innovation or standing out.

• Long-term sustainability

  • Offerings may be easily copied by inbumants