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Disruption.

dis·rup·tion disˈrəpSH(ə)n/

Like so many words that characterize a period in time, we may have already

become tired of hearing about disruption. However, it is the wake of disruption

that is reshaping our current notions of business in general, while its power is

also dramatically affecting contemporary marketing thought. Certainly the concept
of disruption played a key role in the major addresses at the ANA’s Masters of

Marketing—whether it was Brad Jakeman’s clear message that marketers need to

anticipate disruption to stay ahead, or lessons from Jonathan Mildenhall as he guides one of the world’s

most disruptive brands to its next evolution, or Dana Anderson’s perspectives on grappling with change,

or Linda Boff’s ways of refocusing the strengths of GE.

In fact, it bears a look at some current de nitions of disruption:

1. the act of disrupting an established order so it fails to continue

2.
Business. A radical change in an industry, business strategy, etc., especially involving the
introduction of a new product or service that creates a new market: Globalization and the

rapid advance of technology are major causes of business disruption.

3.
A disruptive innovation is an innovation that creates a new market and value network, and

eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market
leaders and alliances.

Note: Not all innovations are disruptive, even if they are revolutionary. For example, the

automobile was not a disruptive innovation, because early automobiles were expensive luxury

items that did not disrupt the market for horse-drawn vehicles. The market for transportation
essentially remained intact until the debut of the lower-priced Ford Model T in 1908. The

mass-produced automobile was a disruptive innovation, because it changed the transportation

market, whereas the rst thirty years of automobiles did not.

And while entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley love to talk about disruption, it’s also interesting to consider

Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen’s view in his book, The Innovator’s Dilemma:
When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail. Christensen believes that no matter the industry, a

successful company with established products will get pushed aside if managers don’t know how and

when to abandon traditional business practices. Sobering, indeed.

The case study examples of Digital Innovation in this issue also demonstrate how many marketers
and agencies are dealing with disruptive strategies and speci c tactics. However, as we enter 2016, it

increasingly looks as though marketing success may be found in a combination of digital expertise, data

analysis and creative excellence. Yet, the challenge is delivering on all three. That, however, may not be

disruptive; it just may be practical in a time of great change.

Deb Malone

Founder

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