Repositioning

So you had a product idea. But after some research, you realized that the market already had a super dominant player. What would you do?


There are many things you can try. Today I like to rumble about this thing called "repositioning".

Type I
Position your product as solving similar needs but serving a somewhat different market or context.
Mac versus PC.
Toyota versus BMW.
Sedans versus SUVs.


Type II
Build a much better product, invent a more superior technology, find a much more efficient way to build the product, or be so much cleverer in marketing and distributing it.
No need for citing examples, because this is most people's first reaction to market competition.


Type III
Position your product as solving a somewhat different need for the same market.
Facebook versus LinkedIn. 
Skype versus MSN Messenger.
Converse All Stars versus Nike sneakers (by the way, Nike bought Converse in 2003).

Type IV
Position your product as something different from your super dominant competitor's, different to the extent that he is no longer so much of a direct competitor.
Most things that are "personal" versus "industrial" and "commercial" versus "military".




Exercise:
eBay versus Amazon, which type do they belong?




Disclaimer: The only business strategy books that the author has ever read are by Scott Adams.