“Sur/Petition” – it’s Competition & Beyond!

Recently I came across this new concept called “SUR/PETITION”, in my Global Brand Strategy class. It piqued my curiosity and I made some effort to know more about it. And what I found is mind-bogglingly “WOW”!

We all know pretty much about the concept of Competition between different brands who are into the same business and product line. But that is an old concept now. Because Mr. Edward De Bono has coined a new concept called Sur/Petition, i.e. the way to go Beyond Competition, the way to seek beyond the obvious, creating a brands own race, the way to make one brand break its own record and surpass its own-prior-self. I may put it like this, “Competing” while seeking together & running in the same race.

According to Bono, Competition on Marketing is thought necessary but not sufficient enough. In any business there are three phases which are Production driven, Competition driven and Integrated Value driven. The integrated value driven phase is all about adding conceptual value to the product/service rendered by the end users.

Sony embraced the concept of Sur/Petition by incorporating the “Walkman” idea. It started as a basic requirement in Japan (because due to lack of space, small size was the main criteria) and later was adapted into an excellent opportunity and creative sensation in the US market, leveraging the need of the US customers for continuous entertainment. This creative and excellent combination of initial concept with forceful follow through is the essence of Sur/Petition.

Unique Value Propositions aspect could be attained and retained through a few major qualities Physical Distinctiveness, Technological Inimitability, Absolute Supremacy, Cost of Entry (Entry Barrier), Brand Image etc. All these drivers are the building blocks or basement for the business, lack of which will be evidently affecting but these are not sufficient to surpass in business. Sur/Petition goes far beyond the basic obvious – it needs the exclusivity in the value being delivered to the customers.

There are three sources for the VALUE + (the value addition) aspect of Sur/Petition, viz. Cohesive Values, Thoughtful Creativity, Concept Design, and Research & Development. Cohesive Values are based on the relationship between Customer, Product and Environment. For example, the change in the way the suppliers are treated by the manufacturers. Historical “enemy” feeling has given way to “partnership”. An Integration Strategy, sharing technical know-how with suppliers to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their offerings. Example: Genius Bar, from Apple. The Genius Bar is home to Apple’s resident Geniuses. Trained at Apple headquarters, they have extensive knowledge of Apple products and can answer all sort of technical questions. In fact, Geniuses can take care of everything from troubleshooting problems to actual repairs. Bosch & Toyota could be another example for such case, but I personally am not too sure about it.

“Valuefacturing” has taken place of “Manufacturing” concept. It is the deliberate process of creating values and helping the business to focus on “manufacturing of values”. Values are of many types – perceived vs. real, gateway value, context value, synergy value, security value, appeal value etc. It is important for the business to consciously apply “Yellow-Hat Thinking’ (for Optimistic Response, logical application to identifying benefits & seeking harmony) to identify benefits and match them to end users.