The Up-Side Down Innovation Bell Curve | Business Innovation - Stephen Shapiro

The old model of innovation is dead…and a new model has emerged.

For months now, I have been writing about the Innovation Bell Curve.  If you read between the lines, you quickly realize that it is no longer a bell curve but rather more of a bimodal distribution.

Therefore I have re-drawn my frequently used graphic and replaced it with the new innovation bell curve.

The Value Brands are rapidly improving their quality to the point where they are displacing mid-market brands.  And, with the tough economic times, mid-market buyers are seeking greater value and shifting to the left, exacerbating this impact.  Premium Brands remain differentiated (albeit sometimes niched) and always appeal to high-end, more sophisticated consumers.  As the recession lingers on, these premium brands now offer lower cost versions of their products, further squishing the mid-market.

Reprinted from Stephen Shapiro's 24/7 Innovation Blog