Every business has an advantage.
It might be defined by technical nous or knowledge that sits within the people in the room or the advantage could be based on physical attributes the business can protect. Something to do with the land or something to do with machinery or the physical nature of the business that gives it something other businesses can’t get (easily).
Being clear about what the unfair advantage is: hardware (physical) or software (intellectual) is crucial to understand.
Once we’re clear on if the brand
has a hardware advantage or a
software advantage we can start to
think about how we further and
protect that advantage.
The first part of our process will help uncover how to define your advantage, and then we’ll define how we defend our advantage.
If your unfair advantage is physical you need to think how you’ll protect it. What else furthers that unfair advantage? Is it purchasing more of a thing? Is it about physically expanding your territory?
Physical advantages run out, so the defense is usually built around expanding access. As physical advantages are (usually) limited, it helps to balance that resource advantage (limited) with an intellectual advantage (unlimited).
We will then further the advantage by defining what to start, stop or continue.
Give yourself space to reflect on the commitments you’ll need to make, that builds a plan built around the advantage you have as a business.
Where possible run each exercise with teams, and ensure you keep coming back to how you’re defining your advantage. Is it giving you the advantage you need it too?
