Our FAQs

What is a Category?

A Category is a distinctive genre or classification. In business, Categories are associated with solutions a company offers its customers that are different to the status quo. A sub-Category is also a valid strategy for reasons below.

What is the point of Categorisation?

Categories are closely aligned to how humans perceive the world. A lot of behavioural research links buying patterns to how customers take on information. For this reason, Categories are powerful tools to guide purchasing decisions.

Why design your own Category?

It makes sense to work with, as opposed to against, how human minds work. There are now established leaders in many Categories, the most successful of whom have become the de facto generic brand of product line for their Category e.g Zoom (online meetings), Uber (hail-riding), Sellotape (clear adhesive tape), Google (internet search) and Post-It (self-adhesive paper notes).

Is it worth being a sub-Category and can you help me get there?

Yes. Sometimes it is smarter to take an established Category and claim you are part of it, through a sub-Category, claiming a different PoV.

Can you name some Categories?

For B2C companies Categories can define products or services such as ‘ride hailing’, ‘electronic dance music (EDM)’, ‘SUV’ or ‘bubble tea’. In B2B industries, examples include ‘customer relationship management’, ‘enterprise resource planning’, ‘robotic process automation’ or ‘machine learning’.

How does Category design work?

Categories play on inbuilt biases within humans which prevent true objectivity. The winners in any ‘Category War’ need not boast the best technology or largest marketing spend. Typically winners define buyer problems more tightly and solve real-world issues differently based on a highly distinctive and compelling Point of View (PoV).

When is the best time to establish a Category?

New Categories are most useful when buyers are ill-served by current offerings, which may have become commoditized over time, establishing a status quo that makes incremental change seem irrelevant. New Categories, though, do not need to be based solely on new technologies, they may represent a compelling breakthrough in service or a blend of service and technological innovation that re-frames customer expectations e.g. Uber, Amazon or Airbnb.

Where can I read more about Category design?

We recommend these books for a basic background:

  • Play Bigger
  • Category Creation
  • Inside The Tornado
  • The Pyramid Principle

Who do I talk to about Category design?

If you are Category curious you can find us at:
One Lyric Square,
London W6 0NB

Call us on: (+44) 020 3637 0640

How can we help?