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You Need to Stop Paying Attention to Your Competition

You Need to Stop Paying Attention to Your Competition

Do you remember the first time a customer came into your store, showed you a picture on their phone, and said, “I want this?” The answer is probably not. The phenomenon that truly change the way we live and do business don’t necessarily seem like a big deal when they’re happening. It’s only when seen in hindsight that the impact of disruptors become clear.

[Tweet “Don’t focus on your competition. Pay attention to your customers.”]

Netflix is a commonly used example of a disruptor. There’s no doubt that Netflix has radically changed the way people watch television. There’s an entire generation dubbed the cord-nevers, who have never paid for satellite or cable service because of Netflix and the many streaming services that followed in their footsteps.

Retail disruptors include things you see every day, right now – think social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram or customer reviews – and items that are just beginning to have an impact, like Augmented Reality, machine learning, and more.  Over the years, you may have seen technologies that were trying to be disruptors – think of Google Glass or MySpace – only to enjoy a moment in the sun and then fizzle out into irrelevance.

Why do some disruptors become part of our everyday, mainstream culture while others fall flat on their face?

The answer is simple: because those are the disruptors customers wanted. Customers wanted Netflix in a way they didn’t want Google Glass; they preferred Pinterest to MySpace. It didn’t matter what brands and businesses wanted to be successful. It didn’t matter how much time, energy, and money went into potential disruptors. If customers don’t want to use a technology, they won’t use it.

Don’t focus on your competition. Your competition isn’t the business you’re trying to attract. Pay attention to your customers. They’re the ones choosing and using the disruptions that will really matter to your business.

I recently spoke on this at American Gem Society’s Conclave. Here’s the first video.

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Creative Director/Senior Designer

Tom DiGrazia

With over a decade and a half of professional design experience, Tom brings his knowledge of design principles and focus on user experience to every aspect of his contribution to TTG. Paying special attention to each client’s brand, personalized needs and individual interests, he strives to create compelling concepts utilizing intuitive and highly-refined design solutions. In addition to traditional and digital design work and oversight at TTG, Tom also boasts a wide portfolio of web development projects with the company, allowing him to stretch his CSS and HTML skills across multiple platforms and disciplines. He feels that being a designer in the digital landscape of websites, eCommerce solutions, email marketing platforms and social media, it is important to understand the code that goes into these areas as it assists his ability to tailor designs specifically targeted to achieve the best end result and further builds understanding and communication with backend development teams.

In his off hours, Tom is an avid pop culture enthusiast, staying up to date on the latest shows, films, comics and games. He can also typically be found taking part in a whole host of artistic activities that help him further stretch his creative legs. Regardless of the activity, Tom is always accompanied by his dog, Eli, and his cat, Tib.

Specialties:
Design, Photography, Illustration, Digital Imagery Manipulation, Wesbite Development

Platforms/Tools:
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, HTML/CSS, Wordpress

Analyst/Strategist

Courtney Dumont

As Senior Marketing Strategist & Analyst at Technology Therapy Group, Courtney is energized by the ability to flex both her left and right brain daily. Courtney discovered her passion for Marketing at Bryant University, where she spearheaded research on students’ perceptions of Social Media Marketing for her Honors Capstone Project. After graduating Bryant in 2012, she joined the Technology Therapy team, where she’s honed her skills in social media, search and social advertising, email marketing, SEO, and more.

Since joining the team, Courtney has created digital marketing strategies and managed campaigns for clients across the country, ranging from plastic surgery centers, to jewelry stores, to construction companies. With a cohesive, cross-channel approach and a focus on data-driven decision making, she has increased their leads by up to 217%. But Courtney doesn’t leave her zeal for social media at the office; she also runs a local foodie Instagram account with her husband to document their meals across Rhode Island and beyond. Check them out: @hoppilyfed.

Specialties:
Marketing Strategy, Data Analysis, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Social Media

Platforms/Tools:
Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Facebook Creator Studio, Instagram, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Emma Mail, Google Data Studio, WordPress, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Microsoft Office