This document discusses creating value through blue ocean strategy and finding new market spaces. It emphasizes differentiating yourself by focusing on a niche and developing clear competitive advantages. Specifically, it recommends combining integrated digital marketing services with a targeted micro-niche and reinforcing your unique value through perseverance to become remarkable and profitable.

1. The Blue Ocean Presented by Kate Dunn, Founder and President Digital Innovations Group (DIG)

2. Who Is This?

4. Imprisoned for 8 years“This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” Vice AdmiralJames Bond Stockdale (December 23, 1923–July 5, 2005) Source: Good to Great, Jim Collins

5. Today’s Realities Midst of a worldwide recession Other forms of communication are proving effective and cost efficient Overall print volume is shrinking Price of print is declining Operating costs continue to increase Costs have been cut to highest levels Smaller businesses do not have the critical mass to be profitable in a commodity market The printing industry will look very different at the end of this recession

6. To Survive and Thrive Increase profitable sales Print as a stand alone medium is becoming marginalized Profit comes from creating value The industry must find NEW ways to create value Those ways will cannibalize our traditional business We need Blue Ocean!

7. Why Are You Here? Grow Profitable Sales!

8. Great Ideas A combination of 2, maybe 3 great thinkers!

9. Blue Ocean Strategy Authors: W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne

10. The Dip Author: Seth Godin

11. Blue Ocean Strategy Value Innovation – focus is not on beating the competition but rather making the competition irrelevant by creating a leap in value for buyers and your company, thereby opening up “new and uncontested market space.”

12. The DIP Quit the wrong stuff Stick with the right stuff Have the guts to do one or the other

14. Why? We forget Why were here What we want to accomplish Why people will buy from us

15. Your Competitive Advantages Differentiate your company Give people a reason to buy from you Help you stay focused

16. Jay B. Barney “A firm is said to have a sustained competitive advantage when it is implementing a value-creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors and when these firms are unable to duplicate the benefits of the strategy. Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, Jay B. Barney

17. True Competitive Advantages Objective, not subjective “Do business with us because we have great quality and terrific customer service.” Is quantifiable not arbitrary “95% of our business comes from referrals.” Is different from the competition Is not a cliché “We exceed customer expectations.” Sustainable!

18. 5 Fatal Flaws of Most Companies They don’t have a competitive advantages but think they do They have a competitive advantage but don’t know what it is They know what their competitive advantage is but don’t communicate it to their clients They mistake strengths for competitive advantage They don’t concentrate on competitive advantages when making strategic and operational decisions

19. Another Key Concept The people who invest the time and the energy and the effort to power through the Dip become the best in the world Make the Dip longer, deeper and harder for all those who follow The ‘Right’ One

20. Which Dip? The mass market is dying Not just in communications in all things Today there are a million micro-markets Each micro-market has a ‘best’ Best is subjective; the customer decides

21. Are We Getting This? What’s Apple’s market for personal computers? “style-conscious, designer’s, multimedia, student, family computer.” They Own This One!

22. And They Know How to Work It

23. Blue Ocean: Value Innovation Creates value simultaneously for both the buyer and the company Occurs when companies align innovation with utility, price and cost positions. Requires companies to orient the whole system toward achieving a leap in value for both buyers and themselves. Believes that market boundaries and industry structure are not given and can be reconstructed by the actions and beliefs of industry players.

24. What’s Remarkable Criticizes Michael Porter’s idea that successful businesses are either low cost providers or niche-players Proposed instead that value can be found by crossing conventional market segmentation and value and lower cost.

25. How? The innovation raises and creates value for the market while, simultaneously reducing or eliminating features or services that are less valued by the current or future market.

26. The Strategy Canvas

28. Southwest Airlines Emphasize friendly service, speed, and frequent point to point departures Focus Price against car transportation No extra investments in meals, lounges, and seating choices Divergence

29. The Final Test… Compelling Tagline Delivers a clear message Advertises an offering truthfully Promotes interest and trust from customers "The speed of the plane at the price of the car—whenever you need it." Southwest Airlines

31. They lost uniquenessWhat makes you ‘Remarkable’?

32. Value Map for Printers

33. Value Map – Traditional Agency

34. A New Type of Company

35. A New Breed of Company High Service Offering Low

36. Capitalizes on Trends Movement away from TV, Radio, Print advertising Focus on digital media New media – social media Provides automation for faster implementation and analysis Need to integrate all channels

37. Now Let’s Add the Spice Ingredients: the right ‘micro’ niche Clear competitive advantages Remark-ability

38. Violá

39. Blue Ocean Cross channel communication Integrated channels Direct mail Email Landing pages Search Engine Optimization Social Media Cell video Automated tracking Campaign Management Marketing Automation Web to print for cross channel communication

40. Combined with a Micro Niche Vertical Markets Horizontal Applications Delivery channels Geographic/Regional Company Characteristics

41. Reinforced by Clear Competitive Advantages Know them Tell Them Keep Them

42. Perseverance

43. Makes You the Best! Remarkable! Money!