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Business Strategy with Hirav Shah AUGUST 08, 2025 | The Indian Eye 44

Blue Ocean vs. Red Ocean Strategy:

Which One Are You Swimming In?

a play—something in between. No
lions, no clowns, but tickets sold
out.
“In a Blue Ocean, you’re not
chasing customers—you’re creating
new ones.”

How Can You Create a Blue Ocean?
1. Find frustrations – What do people
dislike about current options?
2. Mix unexpected ideas – What hap-
pens when you mix fashion + tech?
Or fitness + education?
HIRAV SHAH 3. Don’t copy, design – Build a cus-
tomer journey that feels refreshing.
4. Validate your new idea – Use
efore we dive into the oceans, frameworks like Bizz6 to test your
let’s understand the water
Bwe’re sailing through… idea before launching it blindly.
FAQs
What Is Strategy?
Strategy is simply a plan to win. Q: Is it safer to stay in a Red Ocean
In business, it means deciding: since it’s proven?
• What to offer, A: It might feel safer, but growth is
• Who to offer it to, Airbnb didn’t fight with hotels—gave people a new way to travel (File photo) slower and risk of failure is higher
• And how to win in a way that oth- due to heavy competition.
ers can’t easily copy. • Customers struggle to tell the dif- being different in a way that cus- Q: Does Blue Ocean mean I have to cre-
You can either fight in a crowd-
ed market—or create a new market. ference between you and your tomers instantly notice and value. ate something totally new?
competitors.
A: Not always. You can reimagine an
That’s where Red Ocean and Blue • You spend more just to survive— How Does It Work? existing product by changing the ex-
Ocean come in.
leaving less profit and more pres- • You identify unmet needs or ig- perience, target audience, or delivery.
RED OCEAN: sure. nored frustrations. Q: Can any business shift from red to
The Bloody Battle Zone Real Examples of Red Ocean Battles • You solve problems differently— blue?
(Competing in an Existing Market- • Uber vs. Ola: Same service, similar by blending, removing, or reinvent- A: Yes. Even crowded businesses can
ing parts of what already exists.
place) pricing, same cities. • You create new demand instead of find new angles. It starts with custom-
• What Is a Red Ocean? • Cola Wars (Pepsi vs. Coca-Cola): stealing existing customers. er insight, not product features.
A Red Ocean is a space where
many businesses are already compet- Decades of advertising battles over • There are no rules—because you Final Thought
taste.
get to set them.
ing for the same customers. It’s called • Local salons, cafés, or gyms offer- In business, you have two choices:
“red” because of all the cut-throat ing identical services in the same Why It Works So Well? • Compete for attention
competition—everyone’s fighting for neighborhood. • Customers don’t compare you— • Or create something worth notic-
a bigger share of a shrinking pie. ing
“In a Red Ocean, businesses they remember you.
How Does It Work? bleed time, energy, and profits just to • You don’t compete on price—you You can swim in the Red
• You compete by trying to be better, stay afloat.” create value. Ocean—and fight.
Or you can sail into the Blue
faster, or cheaper than your rivals. • You grow faster, with better mar-
• Most products and services are BLUE OCEAN: The Calm, Creative gins. Ocean—and thrive.
similar. Waters • You build a brand, not just a busi-
• The market is saturated. (Creating a New Marketplace) ness. “Success isn’t always about do-
• Everyone is following the same ing more. Sometimes, it’s about
rules. What Is a Blue Ocean? Real Examples of Blue Ocean Strat-
• In short: Everyone is doing the • A Blue Ocean is a market space egies doing it differently.”
same thing, just with slight varia- you create yourself. • Airbnb: Didn’t fight with hotels—
tions. • There’s little to no competition be- gave people a new way to travel.
cause no one else is offering what • Tesla: Merged sustainability with The writer is a well known Business
Why Is It Risky? you do—at least not in the way luxury. EVs weren’t just green— Turnaround Specialist, Astro Strategist,
• It’s hard to grow. you’re doing it. they were desirable. and BestSelling Author.
• You’re forced into price wars. • It’s not about being better. It’s about • Cirque du Soleil: Not a circus, not [email protected]

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