How Sharks Breathe

I’m suspicious when companies boast, “we’ve been in business since 1980”.

So what?

If longevity is your strongest benefit, you’re in trouble. Just showing up doesn’t cut it. In fact, it implies that you’re driving through the rear view mirror and still clinging to old ways. Unless you’re a brain surgeon, I don’t care about your 40-year history, or 25th anniversary.

Do you drink Jack Daniels because they’re 100 years old – or because it tastes good now?

I’ve only had Amazon Prime for a year. But it’s indispensable. My smart speaker is new, but Alexa is already my best girl. And I now prefer AirBnB to hotels.

Oh, how quickly the landscape changes. If you’re not seeking fresh ideas, you’re ripe for disruption. Amazon obliterated shopping malls in no time. Since Uber vanquished the taxi business, anyone want to buy a Yellow Cab franchise?

Today, you can’t rest on your laurels. It’s about constant innovation and upping the ante.  Verizon leapfrogs competitors with 5G, Disneyland adds a Star Wars attraction, Netflix rolls out new, originals shows. Even McDonald’s experimented with a McLobster.

Here’s My Take.  Sharks must move forward in order to breathe. They need oxygen-rich water flowing over their gills to stay alive.

It’s the same in business, where innovation is oxygen. Successful companies crave fresh ideas to propel them forward. Without that infusion of new energy, the company slips backward.

So, who needs oxygen in their gills?

How about tone-deaf companies that sell laundry soap, like it’s still 1963? Same for department stores, hokey car dealers, fake TV newscasters, over-sloganed FM radio stations, and drug prescriptions with unpronounceable names.

There’s blood in the water, my friends. Time for reinvention.

Beau Phillips is President of Rainmaker Media. 
He’s a creative marketing consultant, strategist and speaker.
Reach him at 203-256-9347   
Beau.phillips@gmail.com 
@RainmakerBeau

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