Benefits
One of the essential steps in developing a product and bringing it to the masses is to develop high-quality, effective, disruptive marketing ideas that will not only reach a large audience but also create the conditions for customer loyalty to grow. As described many times in this course, marketing should be understood as a set of processes designed to promote goods or services to interest customers and induce them to purchase (Pride & Ferrell, 2022). In other words, the better-developed the company’s marketing techniques are, the more response the producer will receive from the audience, including increased interest and loyalty, and a subsequent increase in sales. As with most creative human endeavors, the author of such technologies can go through traditional avenues of promotion. This may include media advertising, competent product placement on a store shelf, email blasts, or other forms used daily by countless marketers.
On the other hand, the author may turn to disruptive marketing strategies that intentionally disrupt conservative approaches and instead offer innovative, disruptive ideas. This discussion post proposes to elaborate on examples of such disruptive marketing and critically discuss some of the ideas. In addition, this paper focuses on the role of audience segmentation in marketing decisions.
The core of disruptive marketing lies in ideas and strategies that carry the element of surprise. Already accustomed to standard product promotion, audiences are impressed and emotionally excited when a company uses breakthrough marketing ideas. In other words, this approach to promotion works through emotions and a growing sense of interest when marketing aims not only to attract attention in the short term but also to create a more lasting and deeper connection with the customer.
Research has repeatedly shown that focusing on the emotional component is a significant predictor of stronger audience connection (Borelli et al., 2020; Arslanagic-Kalajdzic et al., 2020). Moreover, published evidence indicates that using the effects of surprise and unexpectedness excites the audience and contributes to achieving desired outcomes (Abu-Ghazaleh, 2020). In other words, when developing disruptive marketing strategies, companies need to focus on ideas that are innovative and surprising and that create a strong connection to customers’ emotions.
Challenges
Additionally, some nuances and risks arise when a manufacturer turns to innovative marketing techniques. The example of Apple’s recent product illustrates this well: the manufacturer launched the innovative Vision Pro, an augmented and virtual reality headset, which is already a breakthrough in the mobile technology market (Patel, 2024). The company has stepped up its product promotion through disruptive marketing, highlighting how Vision Pro qualitatively improves life and makes many routine processes easier. However, both at the start of the promotional campaigns and after sales, customers became disillusioned with the product due to its uselessness, often at a very high price for the helmet (Stein, 2024). In other words, the risk in this case was determined by the fundamental gap between supply and demand.
Although the disruptive marketing helped draw attention to Vision Pro, the product proved rather disappointing at this point. This is the first nuance of such a promotion: the manufacturer must ensure that the product itself meets the expectations shaped by disruptive marketing. Moreover, the strategies and methods of such promotion must be carefully considered, as unthinking, careless promotion can stimulate not only positive emotions but also negative ones, leading to reputational risks (Abu-Ghazaleh, 2020). Thus, when planning disruptive marketing ideas, it is essential to understand the audience’s values and needs, develop promotional strategies intelligently, and recognize that the product itself can meet expectations.
Ideas
Now that there is an understanding of what disruptive marketing is, what properties it has, and what the risks might be, it is necessary to offer a few ideas for disruptive marketing. First and foremost is the idea of promoting products and services offline in unexpected places. Some examples include advertising in the form of graffiti on walls, curbs, or product packaging from other companies. This can work in conjunction with the biblical wisdom in Isaiah 43:19, which teaches that God creates new things for the good of people and that even outdated approaches can be renewed (New International Version, 2020).
In addition, ideas can be offered for unique virtual and offline events to showcase their product, involving local creators and fostering more sustainable ties with the local community (Shabbir & Wisdom, 2020; Budabin, 2020). Even if a company is multinational and present in many countries and cities around the world, developing unique experiences for each community can be a valuable way to engage audiences and generate customer demand to visit as many of the company’s branches as possible. Ideas based on ecological consumption and socially relevant issues can still be considered revolutionary: a brand can offer customers discounts for recycling (by developing the appropriate infrastructure) or conduct social experiments that prompt people to think about existing problems while stimulating sales growth. Additionally, companies can use humor or current news topics to create relevance for their business and maintain an agenda. However, for each of the above strategies, it should be understood that introducing ideas should be done with caution and informed by prior research on culturally and socially sensitive topics, so as not to cause an adverse public reaction to the promotion.
Meanwhile, regarding revolutionary marketing, it is essential to note that even a single consumer segment can significantly impact a company’s marketing efforts and success. This is primarily because each campaign targets a specific class of consumers: Starbucks will, for example, advertise coffee drinks to younger and older customers differently, based on an understanding of the needs and values of those segments. Since these classes tend to have different perceptions of life, preferences, desires, and interests, the company will need to develop separate strategies to meet each segment’s expectations.
The same applies to communication channels, as people from different segments, which is particularly tangible in the context of age differentiation, will have different needs to support communication with the manufacturer (Tymkiv, 2024). Promotion of products and services may also differ depending on the need for cultural adaptations, if segments have different expectations regarding the purchase and use of the product. In other words, audience segmentation plays an important role in the development and implementation of effective marketing strategies, and the mere existence of a segment influences the choice of the appropriate marketing strategy.
References
Abu-Ghazaleh, A. (2020). Sustainable shock advertisement – When wicked problems need disruptive solutions. Campus Fryslan.
Arslanagic-Kalajdzic, M., Kadic-Maglajlic, S., & Miocevic, D. (2020). The power of emotional value: Moderating customer orientation effect in professional business services relationships. Industrial Marketing Management, 88, 12-21.
Borelli, J. L., Smiley, P. A., Kerr, M. L., Hong, K., Hecht, H. K., Blackard, M. B., & Bond, D. K. (2020). Relational savoring: An attachment-based approach to promoting interpersonal flourishing. Psychotherapy, 57(3), 340-351.
Budabin, A. C. (2020). Caffeinated solutions as neoliberal politics: How celebrities create and promote partnerships for peace and development. Perspectives on Politics, 18(1), 60-75.
New International Version. (2020). Bible Gateway.
Patel, N. (2024). Apple Vision Pro review: Magic, until it’s not. The Verge.
Pride, W. M., & Ferrell, O. C. (2022). Foundations of marketing. Cengage Learning, Inc.
Shabbir, M. S., & Wisdom, O. (2020). The relationship between corporate social responsibility, environmental investments and financial performance: Evidence from manufacturing companies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(32).
Stein, S. (2024). Apple Vision Pro, one month later: It’s in my life, sometimes. CNET.
Tymkiv, M. (2024). Strategies for capitalizing on gen Z’s growing influence. Forbes.