Market position & differentiation · strategy atlas
Blue ocean strategy
what it means
Instead of competing head-on in a crowded, price-pressured market ('red ocean'), redesigning the offer to make direct comparison irrelevant — creating a new space with far less competitive pressure.
a real example
A well-known circus company famously dropped expensive elements (animal acts) that competitors fought over, while adding elements (theatrical storytelling) no circus had emphasised, creating a new audience entirely.
when to use it
Mature, commoditised categories where every player competes on the same few dimensions and margins are being ground down by direct comparison.
when it backfires
A 'blue ocean' that turns out to be blue because nobody actually wants what's being offered isn't a new market — it's an empty one.
put it into practice