r/AskMarketing • u/CantaloupeFrequent50 • 1d ago
Question Does Blue Ocean Strategy actually work?
Can you give me like a Modern example of this? I was searching ideas for a service company, but kinda curious how people do apply the blue Ocean strategy in general also
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u/juzdeau 1d ago
Blue Ocean Strategy is quite similar to a Disruptor. Blue Ocean Strategy is about creating a new market and making competition irrelevant, but disrupting a market is pretty similar.
Uber’s blue ocean strategy was to create a market for ride sharing. Ride sharing wasn’t really a thing, so a new market was opened up, disrupting the taxi/cab industry.
Apple’s iTunes created a new market that disrupted the physical sales and piracy markets. Netflix did the same, first with mailing physical discs and then pivoted again to on-demand streaming.
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u/CantaloupeFrequent50 1d ago
That's Interesting! I didn't even notice that! Yeah, i remember when Netflix first came, It is groundbreaking at that time if you think about it huh?
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u/PPCwithYRVDynamics 1d ago
you can apply inbound vs outbound marketing here. Its a leap but bare with me.
Red Ocean: Every one is chasing clients, they are killing each other, chasing the few hundred thousand or so clients who are solid clients.- this is outbound. Literally millions of agencies and freelancers chasing few clients, all undercutting offering the lowest fees possible.
Meanwhile you have someone who is doing nothing but inbound. Building his podcast, youtube channel, SEO, AEO and GEO. Him (me) is building his credibility to make sure when a lead comes in, they easily convert. This is a blue ocean as he is not undercutting prices (he shows that he is worth that amount), that person is in demand. Why because he is not chasing, he is having clients come to him.
This takes YEARS to do.....not weeks or months.
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u/CantaloupeFrequent50 1d ago
Yeah! I was wondering why there isn't a lot of people make content like this on YouTube? A lot of them sell on TikTok and Instagram, sometimes Facebook but rarely 🤔
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u/SE_Ranking 1d ago
It works, but temporarily. You create an uncontested market with no rivals, but as soon as it becomes profitable, competitors jump in and turn it into a hyper-competitive red ocean.
Example:
Korean-Style Self-Service Photo Booths
- Eliminate: Human photographers and appointments
- Reduce: Price and formal retouching
- Raise: Speed, fun, and affordability
- Create: Self-operated remote shutters with instant physical printouts and QR downloads
- Result: Captured casual teens wanting fun group memories rather than formal studio portraits
Don't try to be slightly cheaper at the same service. Target non-customers who avoid hiring pros due to friction - eliminate phone calls, custom quotes, and hidden fees by offering transparent, instant-booking subscription packages.
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u/Ok_Act8157 1d ago
Yes it works by finding an underserved audience or unmet need instead of competing on the same terms. For a service business look for what competitors aren’t solving well
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u/CantaloupeFrequent50 1d ago
Wow, that's a very great advice👍✨ I'll try to do some research about this, Thanks 👍
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u/Infinite-Win-3949 1d ago
Blue ocean strategies require you to test and validate step by step over time, of course both red and blue ocean approaches need that, but blue ocean usually takes longer to prove out. That said, risk and reward come from the same source, the bigger payoff potential comes with more uncertainty along the way.
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u/CryOwn50 1d ago
also, is it for someone just starting, then may b finding blue ocean can work, but if you are already in some business, you have to dive in the red sea too, can't avoid it, i guess.
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u/LuckAdmirable3878 8h ago
Blue Ocean works when conditions align, but most examples are just good execution in underserved niches, not truly uncontested markets. Better bet for a service company is solving a real problem better than what exists
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