Is “Surprise” The Newest Strategy for the Disruption Economy?

The Unexpected. 

Amazing.  

Astonishing. 

When’s the last time you were genuinely “surprised”? 

Turns out, real “surprises” don’t really come along very often. But when they do, they stay around in our heads for some time. Don’t you agree? 

And there’s some interesting new research about the “surprise” factor that supports this from noted author Tania Luna.  

400 %. That’s the change in emotional intensity we experience when we are genuinely “surprised” by something. And if that surprise is “positive”, we tend to feel more emotions of happiness or joy. 

So then isn’t surprise a great brand strategy for these disruptive times we now live in? 

I definitely think so and below we’ll discuss a company who uses the “surprise strategy” in order to be highly successful in their marketplaces today.  

Ryan Peterson started out trying to improve operations in the shipping container business and wound up with his $ billion company Flexport taking a leading role in the $ Trillion global logistics business. And whether or not he meant to, “surprise” has been a key factor in his success!  

Peterson took a jumbled handful of disparate business – shipping container management, freight forwarding, route optimization, etc. - and blended them into a single digital platform that does it all. And most folks in the global logistics business are surprised – and vocally skeptical -  of his solution. Peterson, on the other hand, could care less and knows his worries are competitors hot on his trail.  

Like that “wow” you get from your first visit to Disneyworld or your first time on Sir Richard Branson’s new radically different cruise line Virgin Voyages. the new Flexport freight forwarding platform is different. Very different from any logistics solutions on the market right now. 

And Ryan Peterson capitalizes on the “wow or surprise factor” that his new solution presents big time! 

So I ask you: is there an element of “surprise” you might use to amp-up your company’s product or service experience? 

You know, the “unexpected”? Or creating “amazement”? 

So on to some possibly helpful Business Tips that I usually bring in about now. 

Business Tip #1. Consider “reimagining” your site’s landing page and if you’re not already, make sure you employ video, slo-mo or or something similar for your visuals. These attract eyeballs plus longer time spent on your site, I guarantee. Static visuals just don’t work well anymore. 

Tip #2. Reorganize your product components along your “brand strategy” so that if you brand play for example, is say “nostalgia”, then elements like memories, family photos and vacation spots make a lot of sense. Think about it. 

So until we sit around the table to kick around ideas about how to get better at business post-pandemic, I’ll catch you later! 

Ciao.