What are Sun Tzu's principles for gaining a competitive edge in the creative strategy industry?
Sun Tzu was a Chinese military strategist and philosopher who wrote The Art of War, a classic treatise on warfare and strategy. His principles have been applied to various fields, including business, politics, and sports. But how can they help you gain a competitive edge in the creative strategy industry? In this article, we will explore six of Sun Tzu's principles and how they can inspire and guide your creative work.
Sun Tzu said: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." In the creative strategy industry, knowing your enemy means understanding your competitors, their strengths, weaknesses, and strategies. Knowing yourself means being aware of your own capabilities, resources, and goals. By conducting a thorough analysis of both, you can identify opportunities and threats, and devise a plan that suits your situation and gives you an advantage.
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Sun Tzu's insights, adapted for the creative industry, advocate strategic market understanding and innovation. "Know yourself and your enemy": assess your creative strengths and weaknesses and understand competitors to identify market gaps. "Subdue the enemy without fighting": outclass traditional methods by captivating audiences with unique, groundbreaking ideas. "Opportunities multiply as they are seized": prioritize continuous innovation to leverage new opportunities and set industry standards. This approach keeps pace with market trends and actively shapes them with strategic insights, ensuring a competitive edge. It's about creating impactful content and being a trendsetter, not just a follower.
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Now that you know this, can you share 1) your insights in detail and perhaps your own current strategy with us? 2) How did you come up with strategy/ies? 3) Has it been effective? 4) Do you think that probably your competitors are also not sitting still, then how ?
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Applying Sun Tzu's best-seller "The Art of War" book principles can help us understand market dynamics and competitors' strategies is crucial, emphasis on knowing the enemy. In FMCG this translates to understanding consumer preferences, market trends, and competitors' brand positioning. Strategic planning helps to facilitate swift responses to changing trends. Leveraging innovation in design, materials, and marketing channels is also vital. Effective communication and collaboration across design, marketing, and production teams ensure cohesive brand messaging and product offerings. Lastly, surprising consumers with fresh ideas and unexpected collaborations can help companies stay ahead in a competitive market.
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In my experience, knowing myself deeper would be the most important to start with. I was trained by a mentor to really double down on the strength that we have instead of improving on our weaknesses. This will then give a much better competitive advantage in the competition regardless. Early on in starting my agency, we doubled down on just 1 core skill which was motion graphics/animation and we were committed to focus on just one niche area to attract potential clients and partners, even some competitors that we ended up collaborating together on our own strengths to complement each other.
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1) Knowing yourself and your enemy means assessing your strengths and weaknesses, as well as understanding the market trends and the competitors’ strategies. 2) Subduing the enemy without fighting means creating innovative and captivating content that outshines the traditional methods and attracts the audience’s attention. 3) Opportunities multiply as they are seized means prioritizing continuous innovation and seizing new opportunities to set industry standards and shape market trends. 4) Effective communication and collaboration across teams, as well as surprising consumers with fresh ideas and unexpected collaborations, are also important factors for success.
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Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military strategist and author of "The Art of War," never directly addressed the creative strategy industry, given the era and context in which he lived. However, his strategic principles have been widely applied beyond military contexts, including business, leadership, and creative industries. Here are some of Sun Tzu's principles that can be interpreted and applied to gain a competitive edge in the creative strategy industry: Know Yourself and Your Enemy: In creative industries, this means understanding your own strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, and limitations as well as those of your competitors. Comprehensive market research and self-assessment can reveal opportunities for innovation and differentiation
Sun Tzu said: "The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him." In the creative strategy industry, seizing the initiative means being proactive, innovative, and adaptable. You should not wait for your competitors to make a move, but rather anticipate their actions and react faster and better. You should also not follow the trends, but rather create them and set the standards. You should also not be rigid, but rather flexible and ready to change your course if needed.
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The creative space moves very rapidly and one of the things we've come to learn is to be nimble, flexible and to adapt quickly. - Staying informed with the current happenings not just creative trends but political and economy news to stay relevant in our strategy - Experimentation: what I always taught to my students back then was to always have personal project no matter how small or insignificant we may think of it. It gives us a competitive edge to experiment with new tools, trends or other ideas to enrich our expertise - Diverse network: Connecting with different types of professionals has given me different perspectives to apply in my own situation in order to stay relevant.
Sun Tzu said: "All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near." In the creative strategy industry, using deception and surprise means being unpredictable, original, and impactful. You should not reveal your intentions or plans to your competitors, but rather keep them guessing and confused. You should also not copy or imitate others, but rather come up with new and unexpected ideas that catch their attention and admiration. You should also not be boring or predictable, but rather deliver your message with flair and emotion.
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In this case, being original also could mean synthesizing our experiences, references and encounters with anything or anyone including our competitors. Original does not always mean to create something new. Being original could mean improving something and taking it to a whole new level. One example I notice is how Apple does it with their technology. They are not always the first mover, or being original. Everything that Apple launches might not always be the 'first' or being original. They have always been doing it at the right time instead of the first time. Doing it way better than competitors instead of inventing something totally new.
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Subterfuge - remain neutral throughout conflict, never allow your competitors to understand your challenges, they might discover how to solve them faster than you, but if you cultivate an air of uncertainty throughout they will never be able to determine where you derive your confidence so they can’t take it away. This tactic allows you to asses your approach without revealing too much about your strategy.
Sun Tzu said: "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field." In the creative strategy industry, striking where it hurts means being strategic, focused, and persuasive. You should not waste your time and energy on irrelevant or trivial matters, but rather concentrate on the most important and valuable aspects of your project. You should also not spread your resources or efforts too thin, but rather target the most vulnerable and influential points of your competitors or audience. You should also not rely on force or coercion, but rather use logic and emotion to convince and inspire them.
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Sun Tzu's timeless wisdom resonates even in the dynamic realm of creative strategy. In the symphony of innovation and competition, his principles unfurl like a strategic masterpiece. In Sun Tzu's realm of strategic brilliance, the creative strategy industry finds a sage guide. His principles, applied with finesse, illuminate the path to not just a competitive edge but a lasting legacy of innovation and influence.
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Strike where it hurts: You should not waste your time and energy on irrelevant or trivial matters, but rather concentrate on the most important and valuable aspects of your project. Agree to disagree? I believe when it comes to defining strategies, no matter could be trivial, coming from experience of payments industry - its the smallest nuances that matter the most when it comes to cutting through the competition.
Sun Tzu said: "There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted." In the creative strategy industry, adapting to the situation means being versatile, diverse, and creative. You should not limit yourself to one style, genre, or medium, but rather explore and experiment with different combinations and possibilities. You should also not stick to one formula, method, or solution, but rather vary and adjust according to the circumstances and needs. You should also not be afraid to try new things, learn new skills, and discover new insights.
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Being flexible and willing to adjust your approach based on market trends, client needs, and technological advancements is important for staying ahead in an ever-changing industry. The could mean experimenting with new ideas, and pushing the boundaries of traditional methods to deliver new solutions. And not being afraid to question old ways of doing things.
Sun Tzu said: "The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death." In the creative strategy industry, cultivating harmony and unity means being humble, respectful, and collaborative. You should not seek personal glory or recognition, but rather serve the best interests of your project and client. You should also not treat your team members or partners as rivals or subordinates, but rather as allies and friends. You should also not work in isolation or silos, but rather communicate and cooperate with others to achieve a common vision and goal.
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Sun Tzu said, "There are not more than five cardinal tastes (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted." This means we need to fully understand what we have at the moment, and leverage all elements we have to create something new. This applies to almost everything that requires creativity, because a new idea can be created out of nothing, we just need to know the right combination of elements to make one.
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