Uber has changed the game in transportation industry, by giving anyone the chance to become a taxi-driver, and by transforming customer experience. People can now: use a mobile app to call a car, use reviews to verify the quality of drivers, know in advance how much their ride will cost, finalise the payment, and finally rate the driver.
Amazon gained a patent for “anticipatory shipping” in order to deliver packages before customers make the purchase, thus cutting delivery time. The company leverages data about customers such as searches, orders, wish lists, shopping-carts, and returns to anticipate their needs.
In order to attract also brand-sensitive NON-customers, the low-cost company invented the masstige (i.e. mass market and prestige), by making temporary partnerships with prestigious luxury brands, such as Versace and Lanvin. This allows H&M to sell limited-edition products, designed by famous brands and sold at special prices.
Swatch was the first to change the game in the watch industry when it turned the product orientation from functional to emotional. Now, the company has launched its iSwatch, intercepting the trend towards smartwatches, that are replacing traditional items.
Apple is famous for its “think different” approach to innovation. In order to disrupt the mobile- phones market , the company has launched the iPhone, by shifting the value to entertainment and personalization through iTunes. At the same time, it has saved money by providing just one model of phone, and by reducing the number of integrated business applications and the operating system performance.
Airbnb has brought “disruption” in the hospitality industry by putting users from both sides of the transaction. The company attracts travellers who don’t need conciergery or room service, but appreciate authentic local experiences. While traditional hotels have to scale by adding more rooms, Airbnb doesn’t own inventory. On the contrary, it scales by harnessing data to optimize the matching of users.
