An important aspect of understanding your business ecosystem is knowing your position within it (positioning), whether you hold a higher or lower (subordinate) role, and whether your offerings are substitutes or complements. Netflix started as a DVD rental service. With the rise of online streaming, Netflix saw it as a replacement for DVD rentals. Kimbap and Ramen are complementary goods, but Ramen and Udon are substitutes. This is why, even when setting up a snack bar, paying attention to the menu is crucial. Complementary goods increase sales, while substitutes are more likely to lead to no change or even a decline in sales. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Toms Shoes is synonymous with justification marketing through charity. People first praised the idea that if you buy one pair of shoes, you donate another pair to developing countries for free. However, soon after, the donation was criticized by findings from an NGO that indicated it took away jobs for youth in the area. Toms Shoes eventually faced a bankruptcy crisis and decided to hand over management to its creditors. Are there any “good things” in the world? In this hyper-connected society that humanity has never experienced, it is difficult to prevent the deterioration of good intentions or control their effects as intended. Therefore, we must not forget that even if there is something good, it is never something to be proud of. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”