When New Gets Old

On February 11^th, 2000, jetBlue Airways took their inaugural flight. There was much fanfare for the new airline. They were to be different. They flew new aircraft equipped with all leather seats with a TV that offered free, live broadcasts to every passenger. This, along with casual, modern uniforms, younger flight attendants and a desire to be different all contributed to their rise. 

Differentiating based on features and benefits can be effective…just not for very long. In fact, it’s usually a one-trick pony. If it turns out that customers like the features and benefits that one company uses to distinguish itself, then it’s no big surprise that the competition will copy or try to offer a little more.  And thus begins the features and benefits arms race. It’s a game that’s usually started by the new kid on the block who offers customers an alternative to the old. The differentiation that catapults the newbie when they first start offering their “new” features is near impossible to repeat a second or third time. Instead, the game becomes a tit-for-tat series of back and forth comparisons, a steady game of one-upmanship Ping-Pong. And, like all arms races, it quickly gets expensive for the players and tiresome and confusing for the customers. Worse, it does little or nothing to create any significant sense of differentiation.

Over a decade after they entered the market, jetBlue is still advertising their leather seats and free, live television thinking it’s still new. But it’s not. Delta has it. So does Continental. So do many other airlines. And the addition of WiFi onboard is no great differentiator either. Sadly, the more jetBlue talks about these things as new…the more they look…well…old.

Differentiation doesn’t happen at the features and benefits level. Differentiation is a perception, not a calculation, that starts with the reason those benefits were developed in the first place. jetBlue was founded as an airline that believed EVERY passenger deserves a little luxury, not just those at the front of the plane. They were to be to the airline industry what Target is to discount retailing – affordable trend and luxury.

jetBlue’s decision to offer TV and leather seating, casual, cool uniforms and modern branding wasn’t born out of market research and competitive analyses  (the root of features and benefits arms races), it came as a way of bringing to life their vision of what the airline industry should be. Their features were born out of what they believed. This is the root of all real innovation. Innovation is the solutions or ways companies find to bring their vision to life. That it distinguishes them from their competition is a result of innovation, not the reason for it.

For those looking to stand out again, go back in time and understand why the original features and benefits you offered were developed in the first place. What was the original vision that those features and benefits were helping to advance? Ignore what your competition is doing now to one-up you. Stop looking for things that may outdo them and start looking for new ways to outdo yourself. The mere act of doing things to advance a vision of an industry or a world that does not yet exist will ensure that everything you say and do will stand out.  Because everything you say and do will indeed be new.

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Comments

[Winona Ryder]

The differentiation that catapults the newbie when they first start offering their “new” features is near impossible to repeat a second or third time. Instead, the game becomes a tit-for-tat series of back and forth comparisons, a steady game of one-upmanship Ping-Pong. And, like all arms races, it quickly gets expensive for the players and tiresome and confusing for the customers. Worse, it does little or nothing to create any significant sense of differentiation.

[Sarah Shahi]

Differentiation doesn’t happen at the features and benefits level. Differentiation is a perception, not a calculation, that starts with the reason those benefits were developed in the first place. jetBlue was founded as an airline that believed EVERY passenger deserves a little luxury, not just those at the front of the plane. They were to be to the airline industry what Target is to discount retailing – affordable trend and luxury.

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I especially like the way that Simon Sinek takes us back to basics - Why we did what we did - Why we are now doing what we are doing.
It's the uniqueness of humans. Our capacity to forsee what is possible (or maybe not see what is possible) yet set out and strive for whatever that is.
In the process we find ourselves by either overcoming struggles or giving up in the face of them.

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I am so afraid of being old... It scares me to death when I see grannies and grandpas

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so what can you propose to keep on growth

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[Paula Fan]

I'm from China. Before reading Start with Why, I had had a vague idea about the meaning and importance of purpose and cause. But the book gives me a much clearer idea and strength to keep believing what I believe. Thank you!

[Mac MacPherson]

Simon, another good post.

It always brings me back to the question you regularly pose - "Why does your company exist?"

Differentiation that has it's core roots in a company's purpose, it's credo, is always starting on the right direction.

Here is my own, as example:

http://Clientonomy.com/credo

Keep posting. We're reading. It matters.

Mac

[Venkat,India]

“Ignore what your competition is doing now to one-up you. Stop looking for things that may out do them and start looking for new ways to outdo yourself.”

Mr.Simon Sinek you have defined a great philosophy. People may doubt whether this will work. For us it has worked for years. Any product we offer, we focus on how the customer will be benefited rather than what competition is offering.

That way companies can have many new features in what they offer. Let us not compete but excel in what we do.

Timely message. Thank you Mr.Sinek.

[Brian Kaplan]

Simon- this point was timely - we are starting a new division in our company - so we do not dance with our competitor on features we will promote our "Why" first and formost it will keep in front of the pack and still ultimately acheive what we are looking to do with our new offering.

It is not about the result it is about the "Why" thanks again for a timely email.

[Gordon Alderson]

I especially like the way that Simon Sinek takes us back to basics - Why we did what we did - Why we are now doing what we are doing.
It's the uniqueness of humans. Our capacity to forsee what is possible (or maybe not see what is possible) yet set out and strive for whatever that is.
In the process we find ourselves by either overcoming struggles or giving up in the face of them.
It's our choice to keep going or to quit with every struggle.