On 20th October 1968, Dick Fosbury won the High Jump Gold Medal at the Mexico Olympics.
His win was a big deal. Not because of who he was, but because of HOW he won it.
Before 1968, the dominant high jump technique was called the ‘Straddle Method.’ The athlete ran to the bar. They jumped forward towards the bar facing down. Then attempted to lift their legs individually over the bar.
All previous Olympic Gold medal winners had used this method.
But Fosbury had been developing his own technique. This is how he described it…
“I take off on my right foot. Then I turn my back to the bar and then kick my legs out to clear the bar.”
The Los Angeles Times described it in a slightly different way… “He goes over the bar like a guy being pushed out of a 30th floor window.”
Everyone else was doing things the old way. Jumping forward, facing down. Fosbury was doing things the new way. Jumping backwards, facing up.
The technique became known as the ‘Fosbury Flop.’ It won Dick Fosbury the Gold Medal. And it changed high jumping forever.
Every high jumper now jumps backwards, facing up.
Why are we talking about this? In the FMCG world, we tend to follow a set of (explicit and implicit) rules.
These are often process driven. Think annual planning. Go through the first step. Then the next. Then the next. Fill in the first set of templates. Then the next. Then the next. It feels like it’s deliberately designed to slowly suck the life (and creativity) out of you. This is the old way.
Instead we need to be more outcome driven. Doing the things that we need to do, in a way that gets to the best end result. That inspires creativity and differentiated thinking. This should be the new way.
We think Category Strategy is often a classic example. A deep dive into the data. A wade through the multi-step process treacle. Spitting out a long document that tells people everything and nothing. That doesn’t get traction internally or externally.
This is following the traditional rules. Doing things the old way.
Instead Category Strategy needs to be much simpler. Prioritising important data, not all the data. Following an easy and effective process. Developing a story that tells people less and engages more. That gets traction internally and externally.
This is breaking the traditional rules. Doing things the new way.
What do we mean? More on this in the coming weeks but here are the headlines…
Changing Category Landscapes. The old way is to look narrowly. Within your category. At your direct competitive set. This is limiting. It restricts your opportunities for growth.
The new way is to look broadly. Outside your category. At the wider (direct and indirect) competitive set. All snacks are competing for snacking occasions. All drinks for drinks occasions. The landscape is changing. So, what a category needs to do to win is changing.
Changing Category Roles. The old way is a traditional way of looking at category roles. Are you a Destination? Traffic Driver? Basket Builder? Pick a role and plot yourself on the grid. The problem is this just puts a category in a bucket. You’re a ‘Basket Builder’ just like 30 other categories.
The new way is to identify a differentiated role for your category. A role that only your category can play. For consumers. For retailers. It’s not a position on a grid. It’s a differentiated positioning in the market.
Atomic Statements. The old way is to have lofty vision statements. Ones that are dripping with purpose. But are so generic they could be about any category. Give someone five guesses and they probably wouldn’t pick the correct category.
The new way is to have an ‘atomic statement.’ A vision that is simply expressed yet packed with explosive quantities of meaning. One that can only apply to your category. That only your category can deliver.
Growth Accelerators. The old way was to drive growth incrementally. Try to nudge penetration a bit higher. Squeeze a little more volume. Get some shoppers to pay a little more. This did drive some growth. But it was SMALL. Meaning the category pie only got marginally bigger each year.
The new way is to accelerate growth. Drive a meaningful shift in penetration. In category volume. In the price that many shoppers are prepared to pay. To re-set shopper behaviours in the category. Growth that is BIG. Meaning the category pie gets significantly bigger each year.
Best Story Wins. The old way is to be information led. We’ve got a lot to tell you about this category and we are going to make sure we tell you all of it. You lose more of the audience each step of the way.
The new way is to be story led. We’re going to tell you a story about how this category can and will grow. The audience stays with you every step of the way.
So, ask yourself…
Are you following the traditional ‘rules?’ Doing things the old way.
Or are you breaking the ‘rules?’ Doing things the new way.
Don’t keep trying to leap over the bar forwards when you should be gliding over backwards.
Feel free to forward. Have a great weekend. Speak to you in a fortnight.