What is Blue ocean strategy?

Blue oceans denote all the industries not in existence today the unknown market space, untainted by competition. In blue oceans, demand is created rather than fought over. There is ample opportunity for growth that is both profitable and rapid. In blue oceans, competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set. Blue ocean is an analogy to describe the wider, deeper potential of market space that is not yet explored. The cornerstone of Blue Ocean Strategy is 'Value Innovation'. A blue ocean is created when a company achieves value innovation that creates value simultaneously for both the buyer and the company. The innovation (in product, service, or delivery) must raise and create value for the market, while simultaneously reducing or eliminating features or services that are less valued by the current or future market.

Is there a Red ocean strategy? Red Oceans are all the industries in existence today the known market space. In the red oceans, industry boundaries are defined and accepted, and the competitive rules of the game are known. Here companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of product or service demand. As the market space gets crowded, prospects for profits and growth are reduced. Products become commodities or niche, and cutthroat competition turns the ocean bloody. Hence, the term red oceans.

Cirque du Soleil an example of creating a new market space, by blending opera and ballet with the circus format while eliminating star performer and animals

A Comparison:

Blue ocean strategy at ITC

The immense potential of Indian agriculture is waiting to be unleashed. The endemic constraints that shackle this sector are well known fragmented farms, weak infrastructure, numerous intermediaries, excessive dependence on the monsoon, variations between different agro-climatic zones, among many others. These pose their own challenges to improving productivity of land and quality of crops. The unfortunate result is inconsistent quality and uncompetitive prices, making it difficult for the farmer to sell his produce in the world market.ITCs trail-blazing answer to these problems is the e-Choupal initiative; the single-largest information technology-based intervention by a corporate entity in rural India. Transforming the Indian farmer into a progressive knowledge-seeking netizen. Enriching the farmer with knowledge; elevating him to a new order of empowerment. e-Choupal delivers real-time information and customised knowledge to improve the farmer's decision-making ability, thereby better aligning farm output to market demands; securing better quality, productivity and improved price discovery. The model helps aggregate demand in the nature of a virtual producers' co-operative, in the process facilitating access to higher quality farm inputs at lower costs for the farmer.

The e-Choupal initiative also creates a direct marketing channel, eliminating wasteful intermediation and multiple handling, thus reducing transaction costs and making logistics efficient. The e-Choupal project is already benefiting over 3.5 million farmers. By 2012, the e-Choupal network will cover over 100,000 villages, representing 1/6th of rural India, and create more than 10 million e-farmers.

e-Choupal - at a glanceMilestones Commencement of initiative: 2000 States covered: 9 Villages covered: 40,000 e-Choupal installations: 6500 Empowered e-farmers: 4 million

Agenda for 2012 States to be covered: 15 Villages to be covered: 1,00,000 e-Choupals to be installed: 20,000 Farmers to be e-empowered: 10m

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