Toppling the Giants in Your Industry

Written by Innovate New Albany@InnovateNA13 years ago

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By using street smarts, agility and quickness, the little guys can take on industry giants, says Stephen Denny in a new book, Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry.

In today’s economy, which doesn’t benefit the bureaucracy of slow-to-adapt market leaders, being an underdog can actually be a position of strength. Denny points to the rise of cleaning products company Method as an example. Long the domain of P&G, Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive, the founders of Method saw an opening to provide consumers with what they wanted—green-friendly, high-quality products at an affordable price. The giants in their industry weren’t fast enough to compete with the upstart business.

Applicable to companies across all industries, Denny’s key strategies include:

• Win in the last three feet. Leverage someone else’s investment–just be there the moment the customer grabs their wallet.

• Create “thin ice” arguments. Shift the conversation to places where the competition can’t (or won’t) go.

• Fight unfairly. Learn how the underdog can turn the tables.

For a sneak peek, visit Amazon.com.

Innovate New Albany, the city’s incubator for technology startups, entrepreneurs and small businesses, features 16,000 square feet of space within the New Albany Business Park’s Signature Office Building, 8000 Walton Parkway.