Disruptive Brands: What, Who and How?

If you’re a customer of a disruptive brand, you’ll feel like you’re at the centre of that brand’s universe. Why? Because to them, “the customer is always right.” It’s those brands that are transforming industries with their customer-centric approach, to every aspect of their company.

For you, a disruptive idea can be seen in two ways: the offering of a new product/service or the reinvention of an existing process to significantly improve it. Ultimately, it’s this creation that, if successful, brings the customer great benefits.

What is a Disruptive Brand?

As technology evolves, so do customer’s requirements. Disruptive brands are those that work to continuously develop their services and evolve their marketing methods. Each process is to be executed with the specific goal of meeting the needs and wants of their audience.

“Disruption isn’t just doing things in a different way which doesn’t resonate or go any further – it’s about changing the game.” – James Kirkham, CFO, Copa90

With disruptors at the forefront of innovation. Existing brands in the market are given huge incentives to really listen, innovate and tailor to the customer. Or, face the consequences and leave the field.

Re-shaping the Market

Disruptive brands place their consumers at the heart of their thinking. That is, with their product developments, customer care services and overall marketing strategies. Making real use of these innovative ideas helps to set new agendas in the market and lead other brands to adopt these changes. 

Unfortunately, too many brands remain to place their own convenience first. Instead of understanding the true power of the customer, companies use methods that are easy and available for them. Whilst assuming this will help to bring them considerable benefits, their survival is only a matter of time.

Who are the Disruptive Brands?

Innovators such as Airbnb and Uber cleverly identified gaps in the market where customer demand was high, yet there was no supply. With larger organisations losing sight of what really mattered to consumers, these disruptors risked time and finances, to find extraordinary success.

One of the most successful financial, disruptive brands, is ‘GoCardless’. Entering a sector which is traditionally a non-customer centric space, proved to be a great investment.

The idea to build on the existing infrastructure of Direct Debits, to create a new payments network online, struck gold and led to many partner integrations, international investments and high-value transactions.

GoCardless now works with major billing and CRM providers, offering a unique, online financial service, that is continuing to be welcomed by many businesses.

How is Disruption Possible?

Ideally, for disruption to occur, brands need a keen eye to spot market anomalies, the belief that customer experiences need to change and a bucket full of creativity. Although other factors may come into play, having these three characteristics as a basis, will help to get you on your way to disruption.

The Role of Consumer Technology

In everyday life, consumers have a more interactive and discerning relationship with brands due to the wide availability of affordable technology.

In relation to customer experiences, technology can help to provide solutions to their requirements but also give brands the opportunities to experiment with new ways of engaging and developing.

The ability to test what strategies work best for the customer opens the door to brands to be unique and to deliver something different.

Barriers to Disruption

Disruptive brands function in a completely new way to existing brands. Disruptors ensure throughout all of their operations, innovation is well-rooted within them.

Existing brands are known to become clouded by the complexity of their organisational structures, putting them at a disadvantage. This is where thinking and being exclusive, really does matter.

Instead of being limited in the ways they can communicate with their customers, disruptive brands can entrench themselves into customer’s lives to really understand them. Consequently, it allows them to provide their customers with a better service (and get more successful business results!)

Traditional thinking brands should revamp the way in which they tackle their business operations. Looking at how they can establish better customer relationships and experiences from a different angle, can help to cater to their audience as well as breathing new life into the company.

“Being disruptive means looking at a problem with a new perspective and finding a different solution through that new perspective.” – Kirsty Emery, co-founder, Unmade

Disruption Helps You

Have you realised yet? As a consumer, disruptive brands are an enormous factor in helping to increase your means of living and working. By reinventing the way that businesses interact with us, disruptors drive positive progress to our communities and improve our experience when engaging with them.

Although not every disruptive brand is given world or even national recognition, it is these brands that should be embraced by us. Through well thought out ways of communication and involvement, disruptors hold the power to really make our day, every day.

For a list of disruptive brands from a whole range of industries, click here. You never know, maybe next year you could be on there.

Get in touch with us for more information.