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Category design is the art of creating a new market category
To create a new category is an audacious move. It’s the opposite of following the crowd. And, most of all, it’s not for everyone. It takes creativity to invent a whole new market space. To change the game. To make what came before seem obsolete. It’s a ruler-takes-all strategy that removes you from the “better” and “price” wars, setting you in a different space that is all your own.
It’s about changing the way people think and inciting them to make a choice by evoking something different from what came before—and not just better. It’s about conditioning your customers’ brains to truly see the problem and your solution as the only answer. It takes time, patience, and resources.
That’s why it’s often easier to niche down and use an existing category to create an entirely new sub-space.
Niching down
By piggybacking on an existing category, you can capitalize on the advantages of category creation—all while limiting the associated risks, resources, and time. This strategy is especially effective in B2B. By niching down, you keep people in a zone they already understand and are comfortable with. However, you focus on solving a specific problem that caters to a smaller audience with a unique and specific need. The more precise the niche category, the easier for people to identify with the problem.
There are two ways to do this: you can either solve a new problem that has recently emerged in an existing category or bring a new approach to solving an old problem—an approach so distinctive that there is no room for comparisons.
Unlocking your competitive edge
Defining your market category is at the core of your positioning. In B2B, there is no buying intent until people identify a problem. This means that every purchasing decision people make is linked first to a category.
At eau3, we can help you define your category and position your brand in a way that will set your business apart. Whether you are just starting out or are an established company, the power of positioning can help you stand out in the crowd and drive growth for years to come.
