Disruptive Marketing Cheat Sheet

Feeling a little stuck in your marketing routine? Maybe it’s time to shake things up. And with summer coming to a close, I thought it would be fun to get you thinking about coming up with some disruptive marketing strategies.

Customers love disruptive marketing because it’s fun, creative, and a great way to get your business noticed.

What is Disruptive Marketing?

Disruptive marketing is a creative and innovative approach to marketing that seeks to grab attention by breaking the status quo. It’s a way to stand out from the competition by doing something different.

This can be anything from a new advertising campaign to a unique product launch. It’s all about making an impact and getting people talking. And the best part is, it often leads to increased sales and greater brand awareness.

But beware, taking on a disruptive strategy can be risky! While these marketing campaigns get a ton of attention, it might not be good attention.

Disruption is a Marketing Tactic and a Business Model

One of the things I’ve noticed in the world of small business marketing, is our tendency to collapse the concept of disruption as a marketing campaign vs disruption as a business model. There is a difference.

When you think about disruption as a business model, think about Uber, AirBnB, Dominos, FedEx, Cirque de Soleil. These are companies that based their entire business on turning out expectations of what was possible upside down.

Compare that to disruptive campaigns like Nike’s Kaepernick ad or Dove’s campaign called “Real Beauty” where they featured real women, unfiltered, no makeup and with a variety of body types.

So, you can see that the difference is real and important. But that doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with one or the other.

How to Add a Little Disruption to Your Business

First, you have to check in with yourself to see if you or your marketing team are up for the potential risks involved in creating a disruptive marketing plan.

As a small business, the risk to your brand isn’t going to be wide reaching, but you definitely want to make sure that whatever you think you’re going to do isn’t going to piss off your best customers.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet of questions you and your team can answer to generate some possibilities:

1. When you think about your specific industry, what is the standard or expected way of doing business?
2. What are some things that people would say would never happen?
3. In what ways can you “do the opposite” of what’s expected?
4. Is there something that your customers wish you offered or offered in a certain way?
5. What would be unexpected in your industry?
6. In what ways can you create unusual combinations of products or services?
7. Consumers love it when you take a stand on an issue. What are some values or beliefs that you can leverage?
8. Is there a way that you can reframe the conversation?

Read These Books to Get Ideas

Grab any of these books to help you answer some of these questions.

Recommended Videos

Here are a few videos that might inspire you.

Frugal Innovation

What are Ideas

Need a new idea?

Embrace Disruption

Disruptive marketing can be a great way to get your business noticed, and the best part is, it often leads to increased sales and greater brand awareness. If you’re feeling stuck in your marketing routine, or if you’re looking for a new way to stand out from the competition, consider trying some disruptive marketing ideas. And don’t forget to have fun with it!

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