Part I: In the B2B SaaS world, you can think of categories as a Lindsay Tjepkema is co-founder and CMO of Category Design way of grouping together comparable solutions that are Casted, and her company is building a category alternatives to solving the same problem. around conversational content. She put this idea Should Be on But unfortunately, the B2B SaaS space has become best: “Category design is what happens as you build Every Business incredibly complex. Check out this illustration of the to solve a problem in a way that has truly never been marketing technology landscape to see for yourself. This solved before. It’s NOT something you do to just grab Leader’s Radar is why being clear about your category – and building attention or stand out from the crowd.“Category design the right brand to support it – is so important. “We continues to evolve live in a time where anything can be replicated in what To help you understand where category design might be feels like real-time, and a buyer has infinite options. headed, let’s take a look at how this discipline evolved. In this world, companies can no longer differentiate I like to break down the history of category design into on features,” said David Cancel, CEO of Drift and three phases: Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business School. “Brand is the only true marketing advantage.” The Formative Phase (Dawn of history-1980) What category design is not What was the first example of category design thinking? We live in a time The invention of banking? The telegraph or the first where anything can Hopefully you’re starting to get some clarity on what business computer? That’s a discussion for another “ category design is and how it works. But what’s helped time, but the point is that for as long as businesses be replicated in what me the most when explaining the concept to others is have strategically built new markets around solutions feels like real-time, to clarify what category design isn’t. to new problems, category design has existed. For most • It’s not a marketing campaign. Category design of history though, there just wasn’t a term for it. and a buyer has infinite is a business strategy, not a marketing strategy. options. In this world, It affects and requires the involvement of nearly The Blueprint Phase (1981-2016) every area of your company. When Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind5 was companies can no published in 1981 and The 22 Immutable Laws of longer differentiate on • It’s not the same as a tagline. New markets don’t Marketing was published in 1993 (both by Al Ries and get built because some company coined a new Jack Trout), they were the first books to set up the features? phrase. They get built because buyers recognize a idea that companies should be intentional about their ” new problem and see the need for a new solution. position in the market. And it was the latter of these — David Cancel • It’s not something specific to your company. A books that introduced the idea of intentionally setting category can’t exist if there’s just one company in up a new category. it. At least not for long. Category designers have to Crossing the Chasm4 continued that thinking by think about building a space that others can help showing us how to take new ideas to the early majority evangelize. – a key ingredient in legitimizing a new category. • It’s not a substitute for having a great product. Later, The Innovator’s Dilemma7 demonstrated how Category design isn’t about tricking buyers. It’s breakthrough innovations often have greater initial about delivering a meaningful and helpful solution success when used in a different application than earlier to a new problem. technology. The Newcomer’s Guide to Category Design 11