One of the highlights early in my career was playing a small role in the creation of the new category of frame relay services. However, if WilTel and its earliest competitor in the category hadn’t made an essential change in their marketing and sales tactics, the category may have never become established.
The article linked below tells the full story, but a few of the key lessons learned include:
- There’s no such thing as a category of one
- Early adopters are essential for learning from/adapting and for building credibility
- Additional entrants, especially if established brands, can accelerate category adoption
- You aren’t really competing against other category entrants. Focus negative messaging on the status quo.