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Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant Kindle Edition

4.6 out of 5 stars 6,045 ratings

OVER 4 MILLION COPIES SOLD
WALL STREET JOURNAL AND BUSINESSWEEK BESTSELLER
RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC AND IMPACTFUL STRATEGY BOOKS EVER WRITTEN

The global phenomenon that has sold over 4 million copies, is published in a record-breaking 49 languages and is a bestseller across five continents—now updated and expanded with new content. Named by Fast Company as one of the most influential leadership books in its Leadership Hall of Fame. A strategy classic.

In this perennial bestseller, embraced by organizations and industries worldwide, globally preeminent management thinkers W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne challenge everything you thought you knew about the requirements for strategic success. Recognized as one of the most iconic and impactful strategy books ever written, BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY, now updated with fresh content from the authors, argues that cutthroat competition results in nothing but a bloody red ocean of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool. Based on a study of 150 strategic moves (spanning more than 100 years across 30 industries), the authors argue that lasting success comes not from battling competitors but from creating "blue oceans"—untapped new market spaces ripe for growth.

BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY presents a systematic approach to making the competition irrelevant and outlines principles and tools any organization can use to create and capture their own blue oceans. This expanded edition includes:

  • A new preface by the authors: Help! My Ocean Is Turning Red
  • Updates on all cases and examples in the book, bringing their stories up to the present time
  • Two new chapters and an expanded third one—Alignment, Renewal, and Red Ocean Traps—that address the most pressing questions readers have asked over the past 10 years

A landmark work that upends traditional thinking about strategy, this bestselling book charts a bold new path to winning the future. Consider this your guide to creating uncontested market space—and making the competition irrelevant.

To learn more about the power of BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY, visit blueoceanstrategy.com. There you'll find all the resources you need—from ideas in practice and cases from government and private industry, to teaching materials, mobile apps, real-time updates, and tips and tools to help you make your blue ocean journey a success.

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From the Publisher

Blue Ocean Strategy: Create, Don't compete

In blue oceans, demand is crated rather than fought over.

The best way to beat the competition is to stop trying to beat the competition.

Go where the profits are and where the competition isn't.

"One of the most successful books on books on business master-planning" The Economist

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kim and Mauborgne's blue ocean metaphor elegantly summarizes their vision of the kind of expanding, competitor-free markets that innovative companies can navigate. Unlike "red oceans," which are well explored and crowded with competitors, "blue oceans" represent "untapped market space" and the "opportunity for highly profitable growth." The only reason more big companies don't set sail for them, they suggest, is that "the dominant focus of strategy work over the past twenty-five years has been on competition-based red ocean strategies"-i.e., finding new ways to cut costs and grow revenue by taking away market share from the competition. With this groundbreaking book, Kim and Mauborgne-both professors at France's INSEAD, the second largest business school in the world-aim to repair that bias. Using dozens of examples-from Southwest Airlines and the Cirque du Soleil to Curves and Starbucks-they present the tools and frameworks they've developed specifically for the task of analyzing blue oceans. They urge companies to "value innovation" that focuses on "utility, price, and cost positions," to "create and capture new demand" and to "focus on the big picture, not the numbers." And while their heavyweight analytical tools may be of real use only to serious strategy planners, their overall vision will inspire entrepreneurs of all stripes, and most of their ideas are presented in a direct, jargon-free manner. Theirs is not the typical business management book's vague call to action; it is a precise, actionable plan for changing the way companies do business with one resounding piece of advice: swim for open waters.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"one of the bestselling business books of the century" -- Financial Times

"Blue Ocean Strategy is the most successful book on business master-planning." -- The Economist

"A great read for any leader looking to get a real edge in business and establish a real competitive advantage in the market." -- Qantas The Australian Way

Praise for Blue Ocean Strategy:

  • A bestseller across 5 continents
  • More than 4 million copies sold worldwide
  • Translated into 46 languages
  • A Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and Fast Company bestseller
  • Thinkers50 Strategy Award for Best Business Book of the decade
  • The Fast Company Leadership Hall of Fame
  • Winner of the Carl S. Sloane Award for Excellence in Management Consulting

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00O4CRR7Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harvard Business Review Press
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 20, 2014
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Revised ed.
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 11.8 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 347 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1625274502
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 6,045 ratings

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4.6 out of 5 stars
6,045 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book insightful, particularly through its interesting examples and clear, step-by-step approach. Moreover, they appreciate its value as a cost-effective strategy guide that offers opportunities for highly profitable growth. Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its strategy of making competition irrelevant, and customers find it powerful and easy to understand. However, the readability and wording receive mixed reviews - while some find it surprisingly quick to read, others say it's boring, and while the title is fantastic, there's repetition throughout the text.

325 customers mention "Insight"306 positive19 negative

Customers find the book insightful, appreciating its interesting examples and thorough research, with one customer noting how it goes beyond theory to share a practical approach.

"...This book has the answers, along with real-life examples...." Read more

"...“offering people the fun and thrill of the circus and the intellectual sophistication and artistic richness of the theater at the same time.”..." Read more

"...These examples offer valuable insights into how organizations have created uncontested market space and achieved significant growth and success...." Read more

"...book for those who like to read about or work with financial institutions and entrepreneurs." Read more

113 customers mention "Ease of reading"93 positive20 negative

Customers find the book easy to understand and appreciate its clear, step-by-step approach, making it a must-read for new entrepreneurs.

"...It was designed for viewers of all ages, offering multiple productions instead of the ‘one for all’ show...." Read more

"...With its strategic framework, real-life examples, and implementation roadmap, it provides valuable insights and practical guidance for organizations..." Read more

"...She was a very entertaining speaker and she made a number of interesting points. I tracked down the book and read it. I am glad I did...." Read more

"...Strategy Institute and professors, Kim and Mauborgne outline a deceptively simple concept - shifting from competition to creating new market spaces..." Read more

37 customers mention "Value for money"37 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth its weight in gold, appreciating its cost-effective strategy approach and profitability.

"...the star names and expensive elephants, which in turn made ticket prices affordable, and simultaneously “invented a new form of live entertainment,..." Read more

"...By focusing on both differentiation and low cost, organizations can unlock new market opportunities and redefine industry boundaries...." Read more

"...innovative ideas through consideration of utility placed on value, price and a cost affective strategy approach to gain uncontested market space...." Read more

"...offer quantum leaps in value through innovation; ii)..." Read more

25 customers mention "Growth opportunities"25 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's focus on growth opportunities, particularly its emphasis on highly profitable growth and creating uncontested market space, with one customer noting that business size and industry do not limit its applicability.

"...readers on how to discover new market opportunities and create uncontested space for growth...." Read more

"...The content of this book is based on the authors believe that high growth and profits can be generated to produce new demand in uncontested and..." Read more

"...based on long-term sustainability of a company, industry and globe...." Read more

"...1- "Blue oceans, in contrast, are defined by untapped market space, demand creation, and the opportunity for highly profitable growth...." Read more

14 customers mention "Competition"14 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's approach to competition, highlighting its strategy of making competition irrelevant and developing competitive advantage, with one customer noting its fresh perspective beyond traditional methods.

"...⭐ Pros ⭐ ✅ Fresh approach beyond traditional competition. ✅ Emphasis on value innovation for growth and success...." Read more

"...Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant, presents a simple, cohesive, and practical framework to..." Read more

"...these tools and frameworks to create new market space and make your competition irrelevant...." Read more

"...content with the best takeaway for me being the strategy of making the competition irrelevant...." Read more

11 customers mention "Efficiency"8 positive3 negative

Customers find the book powerful and efficient, with one customer noting how it better serves clients.

"...its out-of-the-box thinking backed with solid real world examples and powerful, simple, and implementable strategies...." Read more

"...It is groundbreaking, practical, powerful and useful in the most fundamental terms possible...." Read more

"...Unfortunately, it fell short for me...." Read more

"...are more simply, more efficiently, less expensively changing the way consumers end-use a product or service to the extent that it expands the market..." Read more

25 customers mention "Readability"8 positive17 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it surprisingly quick to read and walk them through the process, while others describe it as boring and not super fun.

"...to get through it, and the biggest struggle has been because it's simply boring...." Read more

"...I was recommended this book from a mentor but honestly underwhelming and not inspiring at all." Read more

"...This book was surprisingly quick for me to read despite the depth of the subject...." Read more

"Not a super fun read. Business books rarely are. But this book makes one good point. Don't beat the competition at their own game...." Read more

13 customers mention "Wording"6 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's wording, with some appreciating its fantastic title and clear structure, while others note issues with repetition and mispronunciations throughout the text.

"...The reader has a monotone voice and he mispronounces so many words that the delivery interfered with my ability to extract value from the content...." Read more

"The expanded edition of Blue Ocean Strategy, is metaphorical, witty, and almost Biblical in its commentary of the bloody waters of competitive Red..." Read more

"...the only problem with it is the business-like writing style, full of jargon words, and terminology that are already confusing in their own natural..." Read more

"...As insightful and readable as before - a font of inspiration and hope in a world where the options for how to achieve profitable growth can seem..." Read more

A brand new book!
5 out of 5 stars
A brand new book!
I received the book in perfect condition. If someone used it before, you can't tell at all, it's like a new book. Happy with the purchase.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Do you want to show your audience why you're better for them than any other option? This book has the answers, along with real-life examples. The book's premise: why swim in the bloody red waters of cutthroat competition, when you can own your own uncontested space in the blue ocean? Be different. Be better. The message of Blue Ocean Strategy fits business, volunteer organizations, fraternal clubs, Toastmasters clubs and the list goes on. Read it. Get smarter. Get better. It's so easy.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    5 Stars, amazing read
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The best way to be noticed by others is to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the group. This rule applies across the board, whether it be in dating, entertainment, business, politics, etc. In dating, this is the act of peacocking, which is when someone wears clothing that makes them visually stand out from everyone else at the bar—a leopard print shirt perhaps. The rapper Eminem became one the most popular music acts in the world because he was a white artist in a predominantly black genre. In politics, part of the reason Donald Trump has become so popular is because he talks and acts differently than everybody else.

    Blue Ocean Strategy is about applying this same principle in business. When industries become overcrowded, choosing between similar brands becomes harder and harder for consumers, and “people increasingly select based on price.” Buyers won’t stick to their preferred Colgate toothpaste when Crest is on sale, and vice versa. Most businesses focus on trying to differentiate themselves from their competition—perhaps adding mint, whitening capabilities, or fluoride to their toothpaste. This may give them a slight edge, but the competition will catch up. When market space is crowded, our authors refer to it as a red ocean—one that is ‘bloody’ from competition.

    Instead, our authors suggest a new strategy called value innovation. Value innovation is when a company introduces new strategies, upgrades, or technologies that are designed to achieve both product differentiation and low costs. It’s not enough to simply create a new product or service, it must also be cost effective for both provider and consumer.

    The Canadian circus and entertainment company Cirque du Soleil created a blue ocean by following this strategy. Whereas circuses are geared towards children and theater is for adults, Cirque du Soleil combined them both, “offering people the fun and thrill of the circus and the intellectual sophistication and artistic richness of the theater at the same time.” Traditional circuses featured star performers, animal acts, and three rings. Cirque du Soleil did away with all of these. They kept the artistic music and acrobatic dance, but added in themes and story lines, something more akin to a theatrical production on Broadway. It was designed for viewers of all ages, offering multiple productions instead of the ‘one for all’ show. Through these strategies, Cirque du Soleil created an entirely new market of entertainment seekers: people who would have previously never considered going to the circus or theater on a night out. They brought production costs down without the star names and expensive elephants, which in turn made ticket prices affordable, and simultaneously “invented a new form of live entertainment, one that is markedly different from both traditional circus and theater.”

    Instead of focusing on how to keep an existing customer base, blue ocean strategies pursue non-customers and create entirely new markets for themselves. They recognize that the best way to “beat the competition is to stop trying to beat the competition.” Another blue ocean business examined in the book is the Australian wine company [yellow tail]. Traditionally, wine was marketed towards upper-class buyers and thought to be a sophisticated drink, complete with high price tags and fancy looking bottles. [Yellow tail] turned this idea on its head, offering cheap options in non-threatening bottles and making wine easily accessible to the average drinker. Sales for the first few years were phenomenal before competitors inevitably appeared, competed in the market space, and turned their blue ocean into a red one. All blue oceans become red eventually.

    All things exist in a state of flux and businesses are no different: they come and go with how society changes over time. In order to stay relevant and profitable, both new and existing businesses must constantly innovate. This process of creating new value, finding new markets, and delivering at an appropriate cost for consumers is what blue ocean strategy is all about.

    Don’t be afraid to think outside the box! Whether we are in business or not, differentiating ourselves from the group is a theme we can all embrace. We are always attractive if we are doing the thing that nobody else is doing, in business, and in life.
    Customer image
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    The best way to beat the competition is to differentiate yourself

    Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2023
    The best way to be noticed by others is to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the group. This rule applies across the board, whether it be in dating, entertainment, business, politics, etc. In dating, this is the act of peacocking, which is when someone wears clothing that makes them visually stand out from everyone else at the bar—a leopard print shirt perhaps. The rapper Eminem became one the most popular music acts in the world because he was a white artist in a predominantly black genre. In politics, part of the reason Donald Trump has become so popular is because he talks and acts differently than everybody else.

    Blue Ocean Strategy is about applying this same principle in business. When industries become overcrowded, choosing between similar brands becomes harder and harder for consumers, and “people increasingly select based on price.” Buyers won’t stick to their preferred Colgate toothpaste when Crest is on sale, and vice versa. Most businesses focus on trying to differentiate themselves from their competition—perhaps adding mint, whitening capabilities, or fluoride to their toothpaste. This may give them a slight edge, but the competition will catch up. When market space is crowded, our authors refer to it as a red ocean—one that is ‘bloody’ from competition.

    Instead, our authors suggest a new strategy called value innovation. Value innovation is when a company introduces new strategies, upgrades, or technologies that are designed to achieve both product differentiation and low costs. It’s not enough to simply create a new product or service, it must also be cost effective for both provider and consumer.

    The Canadian circus and entertainment company Cirque du Soleil created a blue ocean by following this strategy. Whereas circuses are geared towards children and theater is for adults, Cirque du Soleil combined them both, “offering people the fun and thrill of the circus and the intellectual sophistication and artistic richness of the theater at the same time.” Traditional circuses featured star performers, animal acts, and three rings. Cirque du Soleil did away with all of these. They kept the artistic music and acrobatic dance, but added in themes and story lines, something more akin to a theatrical production on Broadway. It was designed for viewers of all ages, offering multiple productions instead of the ‘one for all’ show. Through these strategies, Cirque du Soleil created an entirely new market of entertainment seekers: people who would have previously never considered going to the circus or theater on a night out. They brought production costs down without the star names and expensive elephants, which in turn made ticket prices affordable, and simultaneously “invented a new form of live entertainment, one that is markedly different from both traditional circus and theater.”

    Instead of focusing on how to keep an existing customer base, blue ocean strategies pursue non-customers and create entirely new markets for themselves. They recognize that the best way to “beat the competition is to stop trying to beat the competition.” Another blue ocean business examined in the book is the Australian wine company [yellow tail]. Traditionally, wine was marketed towards upper-class buyers and thought to be a sophisticated drink, complete with high price tags and fancy looking bottles. [Yellow tail] turned this idea on its head, offering cheap options in non-threatening bottles and making wine easily accessible to the average drinker. Sales for the first few years were phenomenal before competitors inevitably appeared, competed in the market space, and turned their blue ocean into a red one. All blue oceans become red eventually.

    All things exist in a state of flux and businesses are no different: they come and go with how society changes over time. In order to stay relevant and profitable, both new and existing businesses must constantly innovate. This process of creating new value, finding new markets, and delivering at an appropriate cost for consumers is what blue ocean strategy is all about.

    Don’t be afraid to think outside the box! Whether we are in business or not, differentiating ourselves from the group is a theme we can all embrace. We are always attractive if we are doing the thing that nobody else is doing, in business, and in life.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    24 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    🌟 Dive into the world of strategic innovation with "Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space." This groundbreaking book presents a fresh approach to business strategy, guiding readers on how to discover new market opportunities and create uncontested space for growth. Get ready to embark on a journey of strategic discovery and unlock your organization's full potential! 🌟

    🌼 Top 5 Takeaways 🌼

    1️⃣ Beyond Competition: "Blue Ocean Strategy" challenges the traditional approach of competing in crowded market spaces. It introduces a concept of creating uncontested market space, allowing organizations to break free from fierce competition and open up new avenues for growth and success.

    2️⃣ Value Innovation: The book emphasizes the importance of value innovation, which involves delivering exceptional value to customers while simultaneously reducing costs. By focusing on both differentiation and low cost, organizations can unlock new market opportunities and redefine industry boundaries.

    3️⃣ Strategic Framework: "Blue Ocean Strategy" provides a practical framework for identifying and developing blue ocean opportunities. It guides readers through a systematic process of analyzing existing markets, exploring new customer segments, and creating innovative value propositions that disrupt traditional industry norms.

    4️⃣ Real-Life Examples: The book features numerous real-life examples and case studies that illustrate successful blue ocean strategies across different industries. These examples offer valuable insights into how organizations have created uncontested market space and achieved significant growth and success.

    5️⃣ Implementation Roadmap: In addition to theory and concepts, "Blue Ocean Strategy" offers a roadmap for implementation. It provides practical guidance on how to overcome organizational hurdles, align stakeholders, and execute blue ocean strategies effectively, making it a valuable resource for turning concepts into action.

    ⭐ Pros ⭐
    ✅ Fresh approach beyond traditional competition.
    ✅ Emphasis on value innovation for growth and success.
    ✅ Strategic framework for identifying blue ocean opportunities.
    ✅ Real-life examples across various industries.
    ✅ Implementation roadmap for effective execution.

    ⛔ Cons ⛔
    ❌ Requires adaptability and openness to challenge existing business practices.
    ❌ Some concepts may require careful adaptation to specific industries or contexts.

    🌟 In summary, "Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space" is a groundbreaking resource for organizations seeking to break free from the confines of traditional competition and explore new market opportunities. With its strategic framework, real-life examples, and implementation roadmap, it provides valuable insights and practical guidance for organizations aiming to redefine industry boundaries and achieve sustainable growth. Dive into the blue ocean and unleash your organization's untapped potential with this transformative book! 🌟
    22 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Bought it as a gift. One of the most recommended book for those who like to read about or work with financial institutions and entrepreneurs.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Venkat Pillai
    5.0 out of 5 stars Blue Ocean Strategy - A ripple effect
    Reviewed in India on May 3, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Blue Ocean strategy
    “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne is definitely a good read for imminent strategists.
    What is Blue Ocean's strategy? –
    It is all about -
    a) Creating uncontested market space.
    b) Making competition irrelevant
    c) Creating and capturing new demand
    d) Breaking the value–cost trade-off
    e) Aligning the entire system in pursuit of differentiation and lost cost.
    It turns on the head the erstwhile principle that states high pricing and high cost only create value
    The four-legged principle of a Blue Ocean strategy is eye-opening:
    1. Eliminate
    2. Reduce
    3. Raise
    4. Create
    All the principles need to work together for the new path-breaking strategy to be implemented.
    The sequence of the Blue Ocean strategy revolves around the below four steps:
    1. Buyer utility
    2. Strategic pricing
    3. Target costing
    4. Adoption hurdles
    It is good to wrap your head around the contents, it will certainly give a ripple effect.
    Customer image
    Venkat Pillai
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Blue Ocean Strategy - A ripple effect

    Reviewed in India on May 3, 2023
    Blue Ocean strategy
    “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne is definitely a good read for imminent strategists.
    What is Blue Ocean's strategy? –
    It is all about -
    a) Creating uncontested market space.
    b) Making competition irrelevant
    c) Creating and capturing new demand
    d) Breaking the value–cost trade-off
    e) Aligning the entire system in pursuit of differentiation and lost cost.
    It turns on the head the erstwhile principle that states high pricing and high cost only create value
    The four-legged principle of a Blue Ocean strategy is eye-opening:
    1. Eliminate
    2. Reduce
    3. Raise
    4. Create
    All the principles need to work together for the new path-breaking strategy to be implemented.
    The sequence of the Blue Ocean strategy revolves around the below four steps:
    1. Buyer utility
    2. Strategic pricing
    3. Target costing
    4. Adoption hurdles
    It is good to wrap your head around the contents, it will certainly give a ripple effect.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
  • M A Mohamed
    5.0 out of 5 stars Blue Ocean strategy: Decoding Creative Destruction!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Before I start ranting about this book, the reason I gave the first four stars is because it is well written, full of interesting examples, and, above all, thought-provoking book.

    If you are among those of us, who chose to implement someone else's dreams, this book will equip you with most of the reasons with which you should get your employer to understand why it is imperative to grow out of the current competition and start new Blue Ocean. In this case, if you were working with companies like KODAK, Xerox, Sony and many others that got drowned within the quagmire of Red Ocean, you may have already failed. Hence, this book will just help you to relive the reason the ship you were working with sunk.

    If you are among those of us, who chose to implement their own dream, then this book will equip you with the right strategy Canvas that will assist you to comprehend the current situation of what you want to do and then create your own strategy that will add value innovation to what is already there in a different form. You will understand why you do not have to fight raising-barriers to entry, when you can easily create your own camp outside the well defended Red Ocean Camp that you may have wanted to get into.

    Why, then, the fifth Star? The more you read this book with its additions, the more you think about two thought-provoking ideas:

    Point 1: the authors of this book will give you an interesting answer to Pro Micheal Porter's five Competitive Advantages and the interesting way of creating well defended castle of Red Ocean, where you have to think about how to raise the barrier to new entrants and the art of ensuring the switching cost keeps the customer within the highly contested bloody Red Ocean, while making costly for the competitors to even entertain the idea of getting your customers.

    The authors of this book will simply tell you that you do not need to break into a bloody Red Ocean; or think about defending an existing bloody Red Ocean. Instead, use the Blue Ocean strategy canvas to discover the best way to come up with a better alternative - though they will never mention the work alternative, nor will you hardly note the Creative Destruction mentioned - though you will here a lot about the Value Innovation!

    However, what you will like about their argument is that, instead of being product centred, think more about the customer. In other words, the customer should be the centre of interest rather than the actual castle that Porter thought us to defend with all we have! Good example of this will be their case about how Bloomberg did well, as they focused on the actual user, but not the procurement mangers, who hardly use the product!

    Point 2: where you may find so difficult to reason with this book is their lack of respect for what was once quipped as "Gale of Creative destruction" by Joseph Schumpeter.

    In their example, they used great examples such as the Horse-drawn carriage vs Ford's Model-T. In their world, Ford created Blue Ocean. However, in this endeavour, they overlook at the fact that the poor horse was taken out of the equation by the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). Hence, an entire industry was turned upside. In this case, one may argue the interesting fact that their is a blurred line between Blue Ocean Strategy an the Gale of Creative Destruction. You may also be forgiven, if you assume that the former is simply decoding the latter.

    This thought-provoking argument may even become more interesting when one argues Schumpeter was talking about a revolutionary process that is incessant to the industry. In other words, the Gale of Creative Destruction is a process of industrial mutation that incessantly revolutionised the economic structure within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating new one (Wikipedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_destruct ); where the authors are basing their argument on something that may appear to be an external drive rather than within or internal drive within the existing transposition industry of that time. But Ford and the horsemen were both operating within the same industry and a part of the actual thing that takes a passenger from one place to another place was replaced with ICE. Remember, still the wheels, seats, driver and other parts are there. Hence, an internal mutation had taken place.

    There are many examples from the competition within the Wine industry to the carnage that took place within the computing industry that may appear to be based on the Gale of Creative Destruction cloaked within Blue Ocean strategy!

    As we are in for an interesting era, where computing algorithms are slowly overtaking most of the manually work that we do, the concept of Blue Ocean strategy/Gale of Creative Destruction will become part of our daily thinking.

    The authors of this book and their associated articles, which they had been writing, I think, have done one great deal of job for us: they decoded the art of Creative Destruction rather than creating a getaway through which cowards can scape from the quagmire of the bloody Red Ocean. Hence, they deserve the fifth Star.
  • Mike M
    5.0 out of 5 stars Reframed the way I approach business strategy
    Reviewed in Canada on February 8, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    An excellent source of material for someone looking to figure out how to differentiate their company from the competition. A great read!
  • Optimus Prime 90
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book!!!
    Reviewed in France on August 25, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I read this book and I was wowed. The examples are concrete and straight to the point. No confusion caused by bid words. I think i will read it again. As someone who is at the head of several projects, it made a lot of sense and is an eye opener. Great work!
  • Juan Luis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesante libro sobre estrategia de mercados
    Reviewed in Spain on April 3, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    La estrategia del "Océano Azul" es una buena forma de encontrar nuevos mercados alejándose de la competencia directa. Requiere innovación y un cambio de mentalidad, pero puede ser efectiva si se adapta correctamente a las necesidades de la empresa.
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