Strategy and Team Dynamics: Market Dominators

Fast-paced, huge innovations and aggressive approaches to win all the customers in their niche. Hold on to your hats!

This week we look at the fourth dimension of strategy; market position, and how it shapes team dynamics. Simplistic view, but a company is either going after market dominance with big innovation or it’s following a market by filling in a gap. From bold, fast-paced cultures of market dominators to the more refined approaches of market followers, this strategic choice profoundly impacts people, process and politics.

Let’s explore market dominators and look at the distinct challenges and obstacles you may face as a team leader for both approaches, with insights on how to align you team to reduce friction and improve the overall atmosphere.

Market Dominators

Market dominators aim to disrupt industries, set trends and shift customer expectations. These sorts of companies change the world in big and exciting ways making people rethink their approach to daily life. We’re talking Netflix, Apple, EasyJet, Amazon and Tesla. The products they have given the world are highly innovative, disrupt markets and even create new ones. They completely changed the way we see entertain, communication, and holidays abroad.

Once a market dominator company is ready to launch its product, the go-to-market will be aggressive and large scale. They will usually saturate the market and swoop up so many customers (and keep them loyal) that by the time competitors try to copy and catchup, it’s too late because their explosive traction means they get the chance to invest heavily in R&D going forward - hence they maintain that loyal customer base, guaranteeing their position as the leader.

I have heard it said several times from senior marketing people that, every market is dominated by only one or two players - with the rest of the pack vying for crumbs off the table.