Aikido is a Japanese martial art in which the strength of an attacker is used against him or her. As a business model, Aikido allows a company to offer something diametrically opposed to the image and mindset of the competition. This new value proposition attracts customers who prefer ideas or concepts opposed to the mainstream.
How they do it: Swatch’s brand image mirrored off its name, a contraction of ”second watch”. Watches were intended as casual, disposable accessories – diametrically opposed to the mainstream industry’s approach. The Swatch product line was developed as a response to the ”quartz crisis” of the 1970s and 1980s, in which Asian-made digital watches were competing against traditional European-made mechanical watches.
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How they do it: When the video console market was dominated by Sony (Playstation) and Microsoft (Xbox), Nintendo introduced the Wii console with totally different attributes and features than the two successful products from Sony and Microsoft. Instead of targeting serious gamers, the Wii targets a broader target group allowing them a more interactive and fun-focused game experience. In addition Nintendo first introduced a wireless controller with a movement detector, creating a totally different product than its competitors.
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