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Disruptive marketing
Disruptive marketing is a necessary term, especially for startups. It is about gaining a foothold as a new company in an established industry by attracting those customers who feel neglected. It can be done, for example, through the use of new technology and app. The Clubhouse offers unrecorded interactive live podcasts.
In this content, you will learn how digital companies can become a “disruptive factor” with new apps such as Clubhouse and thus win over the customers of established competitors. You will receive an introduction to disruptive thinking for digital marketing and leadership. In addition, in this article, we will deal with the hype app Clubhouse offers and how you can use it as a disruptive business model. Ideal for all rebels and digital pioneers!
Disruptive thinking for digital marketing and app
In the field of digital marketing, disruptive thinking is a real superpower. Because since the digital revolution, the buying behavior of customers has been very different. So the Internet has had a disruptive effect on the traditional business of brands.
It is precisely how disruptive marketing should affect. Traditional models for explaining customer behavior are often no longer suitable. Our course analyzes various brands that have successfully adapted their marketing strategies to this new reality.
Decision-making moments are crucial in digital marketing. By using them with a creative disruption, you can reach your target audience. It is often not that easy in the complex digital landscape!
What is disruptive thinking?
Disruptive thinking ensures that existing structures are broken up or “disrupted” to be replaced by innovations. One example is Netflix, as the company has disrupted the old video rental business and created new standards.
Disruptive thinking for leadership
Anyone who can think disruptively will quickly conquer an exciting position with their digital business. It is about what is known as “leadership.” It means that you don’t blindly follow the digital marketing trends for 2021 but rather set trends yourself.
An important question is: What is the goal of your company? Here are some possible plans:
- Make the world more accessible (like AirBnB)
- Fight against social or economic inequalities (such as Lush, a cosmetics company that campaigns against animal testing and unnecessary chemicals in products)
- Offer cheap and sustainable options (such as Uber, which as a car-sharing company ensures that city dwellers can get around cheaply even without their car)
The business goal should be unique and match the brand you want to create. Disruptive marketing then helps to explain to the target group what is different about your company or start-up. The so-called differentiation strategy helps to become something extraordinary with a high recognition value.
Volvo made headlines with its “Interception Strategy.” During the Superbowl 2019, a running competition invited interested parties to post the hashtag #Volvocontest whenever a car advert. So Volvo prevailed against the competition with few resources.
At the same time, note that leadership is not an easy topic. Ideally, your target group trusts you and helps you create hype about your product or service. But the business structure is compared to a wave: either it makes hype or turns against you. Those who do not use the technology correctly will perish. However, those who master them can ride the hype wave and successfully advertise their start-up.
Use the new app as a disruption.
One of the best methods for digital startups looking to try disruptive marketing is through new apps. Because there is often a lack of time and money to implement extensive campaigns or even new technologies, it is clever to take advantage of new and exciting technologies for your benefit and thus develop into a digital pioneer.
In 2018, L’Oréal made use of the possibilities of artificial intelligence with a new app. Customers could quickly test what new hair colors would look like by trying them out in the app. An app in itself is not a revolutionary technology. Still, the idea of using artificial intelligence and offering the target group different hair colors in a playful way turned out to be very profitable.
L’Oréal is not a digital start-up, but you can solve a lot from this example. Because the basic idea is to solve customer uncertainty through technology, think about how you can offer your customers innovative added value with the help of new apps and existing technological possibilities.
Five good reasons for disruptive marketing:
- Customers talk about disruptive marketing because they remember it well
- Disruptive marketing is often comparatively cheap
- You score with honesty
- Your brand gets its own identity
- It’s fun for companies and target groups!
The hype app Clubhouse
A current hype in Germany is the American app Clubhouse, which has been on everyone’s lips since January 2021. It is a social network app that comes from Silicon Valley. The Clubhouse has been successful in the USA since spring 2020.
The Clubhouse is a kind of live podcast app. Thus, it addresses the only sense that is not yet served by many social media: hearing. At the Clubhouse, you can get involved in live discussions, organize events yourself or listen. There is only a soundtrack. Since the unrecorded conversations, you have to be there live during the mobile expert discussions.
Numerous influencers, but also politicians and companies, are already active on Clubhouse. The app is currently still very exclusive because you can only enter and use it with an invitation.
At Clubhouse, digital businesses can, for example, network, conduct marketing, and make themselves a so-called thought leader in their niche. An inexpensive and very efficient way to convince new customers of you!
The often spontaneous conversations at Clubhouse use for social and informal exchange. You join virtual “rooms” and can listen, but also have a say yourself. Thus, it is a kind of interactive live podcast, which among other things, enables mobile expert talks.
Typically, the roundtables have one or more moderators—these interview experts on specific topics. Listeners can ask their questions live by being invited to the virtual podium for a short time.
But what is Clubhouse’s potential for addiction? The following factors make the audio app something completely new:
- Focus on networking
- Specific expertise is in the foreground
- Comfortable, constant listening is possible
- Uncomplicated interaction with listeners
- Proximity to celebrities and thought leaders
- Use of the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) effect, as there are no recordings
- Possibility to open your club with followers
Numerous potential customers cavort in the app and are interested in high-quality content. It offers digital business models and new tech start-ups the unique opportunity to secure a piece of the pie and use the new app as a tool for disruptive marketing.
At the same time, you should be aware that Clubhouse also has some disadvantages. For example, depending on the target group, exclusivity is not very attractive. In addition to the necessary instructions, an iOS operating system is currently required to use Clubhouse. Android users are now not in a position to have a say. The Clubhouse is therefore not the right choice for every start-up.
It is not always easy to keep track of things or stick to the topic in audio discussions. More and more “trolls” will make fun of disturbing and interrupting severe discussion in the predestined future. However, this is not exactly the type of disruption you want!
Disruptive marketing must not slide into the ridiculous but should offer added value and at the same time make the company stand out from the crowd. Source: https://www.bkacontent.com/3-disruptive-marketing-examples-and-why-they-work/
There are also more and more journalists at Clubhouse. It is not necessarily a disadvantage. However, despite the informal atmosphere, you shouldn’t say anything that uses against you. Otherwise, you will feel like the Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow referred to Angela Merkel as “Merkelchen” in a clubhouse discussion and caused a stir.
Instructions for the disruptive use of digital opportunities
To achieve the perfect combination of disruptive thinking and new apps, you should first develop a good strategy. Apps like Clubhouse work best when your business idea benefits from the disruptive influence of digital media.
Using the example of Clubhouse, this means: If your target group consists of younger, internet-savvy people who may use iOS devices and are very likely to be interested in Clubhouse, this is a good strategy. If you’re willful in networking and making new contacts with other new tech start-ups, Clubhouse is also a good idea. Older people or convinced Android users, on the other hand, cannot be reached here.
The current great potential of the live podcast app is significant concerning networking and target group communication. Pay close attention to the hype and consider how you can put your disruptive concept into practice here.
The following step-by-step guide explains how the disruptive use of digital possibilities can succeed. It applies not only to Clubhouse but also to other new apps such as TikTok or Instagram Reels.
Step 1: thorough research
Before creating a marketing strategy, it is essential to be well informed. Think about the industry in which you want to be active, who your target group is, and what makes your company special. Your business plan creation is from it.
Digital marketing trends and trends in the industry play an important role. To find out more, you can use tools like Think with Google and BizStats. A market study and extensive research on social media are also helpful in identifying niches and market gaps.
Don’t be afraid to get in direct contact with the target audience. When you have a good idea, you should put yourself directly in the audience’s shoes. Creating so-called personas makes it easier to find out where the desires and hopes of your target group lie. In the context of, for example, this strategy, the LEGO LEGO Ideas community reacted, forming valuable relationships with the customers and bringing many ideas.
Step 2: Transparent and honest communication
Communication is more crucial than ever for companies and start-ups today. Because now it is consumers who decide much more than producers what they need and want to buy. The Internet makes it possible to examine every company and make a purchase decision based on this information.
Therefore, make yourself aware that you are dealing with a very social and skeptical target group. So instead of just sending out news and getting trusted, it’s important to build an affinity with your brand carefully. The best way to work it out is through transparent and honest communication.
Here again, disruptive thinking plays a significant role. By offering added value on Clubhouse, for example, allowing a glimpse behind the scenes and asking critical questions from the target group, you offer maximum transparent and honest communication that customers appreciate.
Step 3: Offer meaningful added value.
The overwhelming number of companies and digital start-ups means it’s more complicated than ever to stand out from the crowd. At the same time, young companies should resist the temptation to use disruptive techniques just for the sake of uniqueness.
It is much more critical to offer added value. It should be unique, set you apart from the competition, and ideally contain something new that has never been there before. Only those who know the target group inside out can develop an appropriate strategy.
Nike uses provocative slogans as part of a disruptive marketing strategy that scores with honesty.
Step 4: a clear position
Marketing is a long-term endeavor. Right from the first strategy, you should take a clear position that shows your company’s basic ideas and values . The simplest way to earn this is to reflect the values and ideals of the target audience.
For example, if you have a start-up that makes hip shoes from old tires and donates a pair of shoes to people in poorer countries with every purchase, your values are identified. Your target group consists of people who would like to do something good and value a modern look.
In your marketing, it is essential to address precisely these underlying values. Disruptive slogans such as “One pair of feet, two pairs of shoes” or “Even old tires can be modern” reflect this well.
The next thing is to think about how you can use new apps to spread that disruptive thinking. Be it innovative Tik Tok videos or clubhouse interviews with people who have received a pair of donated shoes, as long as you keep your clear position and get very creative.
Step 5: stay true to yourself.
In disruptive marketing, there is always the temptation to generate attention and a stir. And the values and foundations of the company are quickly lost. So instead of organizing an interactive podcast at Clubhouse head over heels, you should think about your strategy and your business plan.
Because even if you have got many new followers after a successful disruptive campaign, they will continue to expect added value and a clear brand message. The keyword is consistency<span data-preserver-spaces=”true”> because this is the only way customers will trust your brand in the long term.
Tips for using Clubhouse App for digital businesses
First experiences with Clubhouse quickly show that many of the speakers are between 30 and 40 years old, convinced with excellent general knowledge, specialist knowledge, and a pleasant speaking voice, and thus offer a melodic counterpoint to many unrealistic Instagram images.
But how can you make use of the characteristics of Clubhouse? Here we have collected some tips :
- Offer know-how and, for example, report on current news and trends
- Enable customers to contact the company
- Talk to industry stars, influencers, or other personalities
- Organize networking events
- Receive feedback on products
- Organize Impromptu focus groups
For all of this to work well, you should promote your company’s presence on Clubhouse well. Done through followers at Clubhouse itself, but also through the intelligent use of other social media.
A significant advantage of Clubhouse is that entering a club results in all followers receiving a notification. So if several people visit your live podcast, all of the followers are being informed. This way, you can quickly reach a large audience.
So that everything goes well during the talk, you should come up with a basic framework. Who moderates, pays attention to the process and the time, and takes care of admitting the audience to the podium and removing them again?
Be prepared for anything: maybe there are no questions at all. Maybe nobody will come. And perhaps an influencer will join in, and the club room is bursting at the seams. By communicating with your team in a separate chat, you can react quickly.
Another tip:
The clubhouse talks typically last around an hour. This length may also exceed or not reached. Since many listeners join spontaneously, you should always pick them up by mentioning the topic or referring to the common thread of the conversation.
App- Clubhouse: Conclusion- courage to disrupt
Disruptive marketing is an important technique you can use to make your digital business model stand out from the crowd. However, it is crucial to prepare a good strategy before the first mobile expert talks, or the first video goes live.
New apps like Clubhouse or Tik Tok help spread disruptive ideas and offer customers real added value. You shouldn’t become a digital pioneer just because it’s hype.
On the contrary: Create your advertising by providing your target group something new, unprecedented, and at the same time staying genuine to your values.
The Clubhouse is a new social app from the USA that has only arrived in Germany since January 2021. It is, therefore, an excellent opportunity to stand out from the competition and convince the target group with a wow factor. But always remember not to forget to listen!
The topic of digital marketing trends and disruptive business models are part of the first two modules of Tech Meets Tech. If you are willing to learn more about these topics, take a look at our course brochure!
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