Viva’s Blog: Jump!

Bend your knees, swing your arms back and jump. No baby steps allowed.

Business success in today’s insanely competitive world often requires marketers to make a bold move to differentiate themselves rather than take small steps and incrementally move forward. In other words, jump!

CASE IN POINT: Georgia Tech’s recent decision to offer the first online master’s degree in computer science.

Bold? You bet. The Atlanta-based University is making waves in business and higher education by offering this master’s degree online and for a quarter of the cost of an on-campus degree. You may have heard that Stanford and other universities are offering “massive open online courses” or MOOCs. Anyone can participate, the courses are free and students don’t earn any credits. Public response and reviews have been overwhelmingly positive and the supply of them is exploding. Georgia Tech first took a small step and offered MOOCs last summer. Then they jumped.

Why do it? Georgia Tech identified a huge opportunity and claimed it. The Commerce Department estimates that by 2020 there will be a shortage of one million computer science graduates. For just $7,000, you can now get a master’s degree from one of the most well-respected programs in the country. The economics are attractive, the brand panache is exceptional, and the marketing differentiation is clear.

CASE IN POINT: Porsche’s decision to add an SUV.

Bold? You bet. Porsche’s sales were declining as they were challenged to find more people to buy their sports cars. They observed the wildly popular and growing sport-utility vehicle market and decided to enter this entirely new segment. They jumped.

Why do it? They had added a Boxster and the Cayman, two sports cars, and saw nice incremental growth. To continue growing, they could have added another sports car. Instead, they developed the Cayenne SUV to dramatically expand their target audience.

When jumping, stay true to your Brand. Important to note is that both both organizations stayed true to their Brands. Georgia Tech is noted for its engineering and computer science education so offering another channel to deliver their expert teachings is just smart. Universally known for high performance, expensive, and beautifully designed cars, Porsche created a luxury SUV that has been praised for its sleek look, excellent handling, and powerful engine.

It’s your turn. How can you jump, grow sales, and further expand your Brand?
Read more Viva’s Blogs at www.vivalabrand.com

Editor’s note: Laura Sheridan, President of Viva La Brand, was recently selected to be the Brand Blogger for Crain’s Cleveland Business.