The authors that penned one of the most popular business books of recent times—“Blue Ocean Strategy”—are back on bookshelves with “Blue Ocean Shift: Beyond Competing, Proven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth.”
In their groundbreaking original, strategy professors W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne taught businesses how to “make the competition irrelevant” and coined a now commonly used marketing term, “blue ocean,” that is a market free of “bloody” competition. (A highly competitive marketplace is referred to as a “red ocean.”)
This refreshing concept turned business axioms on their heads and encouraged innovation and creativity among start-up entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 executives alike.
Through numerous inspiring examples and detailed, practical steps, “Shift” explains the “how” that the original “Blue Ocean Strategy” may have been missing.
- Get started by choosing your target and constructing your team
- Get clear about the current state of play
- Imagine where you could be
- Find how you get there (using their provided analytical tools)
- Make your move
At times a bit cumbersome, the book may make readers scan pages to get to those elements that apply to them, and fans of the original may find this a lackluster sequel, but useful.
Regardless, the overall philosophy and practical analysis provide fundamental thinking for any individual working to make an impact in their space. Someone looking for a comprehensive understanding of marketing strategy would do well to start with “Blue Ocean Shift.”
