---
name: blue-ocean-strategy
description: 'Create uncontested market space using value innovation instead of competing head-to-head. Use when the user mentions "blue ocean", "red ocean", "strategy canvas", "ERRC framework", "value innovation", "non-customers", "buyer utility map", "eliminate-reduce-raise-create", or "uncontested market". Also trigger when comparing pricing strategies, exploring new market categories, finding underserved customer segments, or asking how to stop competing on price. Covers the Four Actions Framework, buyer utility map, and value-cost trade-offs. For tech adoption strategy, see crossing-the-chasm. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome.'
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: wondelai
  version: "1.2.0"
---

# Blue Ocean Strategy Framework

Strategic framework for creating uncontested market space that makes the competition irrelevant, based on the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost.

## Core Principle

**Don't compete in bloody red oceans. Create blue oceans of uncontested market space.** Most companies fight for share in existing industries; winners create new market space where competition is irrelevant by delivering a leap in value for both buyers and themselves. Competition-based strategy is zero-sum — value innovation creates new demand and breaks the value-cost trade-off.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** Rate any business strategy or value proposition 0-10 against blue ocean principles: clear value innovation, elimination of unnecessary factors, and creation of new demand. Report the current score and the specific moves needed to reach 10/10; low scores mean competing in a red ocean.

## Framework

### 1. Red Ocean vs. Blue Ocean

**Core concept:** Red oceans are existing market spaces where rivals fight over shrinking profits; blue oceans are new market spaces where the competition is irrelevant.

| Red Ocean Strategy | Blue Ocean Strategy |
|-------------------|---------------------|
| Compete in existing market space | Create uncontested market space |
| Beat the competition | Make competition irrelevant |
| Exploit existing demand | Create and capture new demand |
| Make the value-cost trade-off | Break the value-cost trade-off |
| Align with differentiation OR low cost | Pursue differentiation AND low cost |

**Examples:** Airlines competing on routes, amenities, and price are red ocean; Cirque du Soleil inventing a new entertainment form, Netflix replacing rental with streaming, and Nintendo Wii trading graphics power for accessible motion gaming are blue.

See: [references/blue-ocean-examples.md](references/blue-ocean-examples.md) for detailed case studies.

### 2. Value Innovation

**Core concept:** The cornerstone of blue ocean strategy — pursue differentiation and low cost simultaneously, creating a leap in value for buyers and the company (Value Innovation = Utility × Price × Cost).

**Why it works:** Eliminating and reducing over-served factors cuts costs at the same time that raising and creating factors lifts buyer value — value rises more than cost, breaking the trade-off competitors assume is fixed.

| Traditional View | Value Innovation View |
|-----------------|---------------------|
| High value = high cost | High value CAN = low cost |
| Differentiate OR cut costs | Differentiate AND cut costs |
| Better performance on established factors | New factors; eliminate old factors |

**Example — Cirque du Soleil:** eliminated animal shows, star performers, multiple arenas (cost down); reduced thrill and humor; raised venue quality, artistic music and dance; created theme, refined environment, multiple productions. Outcome: priced above circus, costs below theater, a new market.

See: [references/value-innovation.md](references/value-innovation.md) for value innovation frameworks.

### 3. Strategy Canvas

**Core concept:** The diagnostic tool — plot the factors an industry competes on against the offering level for you and competitors. Red oceans show everyone's curve looking the same; a divergent curve signals a blue ocean.

**How to use:**
1. List the industry's competing factors (wine: price, prestige, aging quality, vineyard legacy, complexity, range, marketing)
2. Plot your curve and competitors' — expect near-identical curves in a red ocean
3. Ask: which factors do buyers not actually care about? What could be eliminated, reduced, raised, or created? Where does the buyer experience hurt?

**Example — Yellow Tail wine:**

| Factor | Industry Average | Yellow Tail |
|--------|-----------------|-------------|
| Price, prestige, aging quality | Medium-High | LOW |
| Vineyard legacy, complexity, range | High | LOW |
| Easy drinking | Low | HIGH |
| Fun/adventure, accessibility | Low | HIGH |

**Result:** A different curve = blue ocean.

See: [references/strategy-canvas.md](references/strategy-canvas.md) for templates and examples.

### 4. Four Actions Framework (ERRC Grid)

**Core concept:** Four questions that reconstruct buyer value — Eliminate and Reduce cut costs; Raise and Create lift value.

| Action | Question | Examples | Effect |
|--------|----------|----------|--------|
| **Eliminate** | Which taken-for-granted factors add no buyer value? | Cirque: animals, stars; Southwest: meals, seat assignments; IKEA: sales staff, assembly | Cost down; friction removed |
| **Reduce** | What can go well below industry standard? | Yellow Tail: prestige, complexity; Salesforce v1: customization | Cost down; over-serving stops |
| **Raise** | What should go well above industry standard? | Cirque: artistic value; Dyson: suction, design; Apple: UX | Value up; hard to match |
| **Create** | What has the industry never offered? | Netflix: unlimited streaming, no late fees; Uber: live tracking, cashless payment | New demand; attracts non-customers |

**Net result:** value increases more than cost — value innovation.

**Ethical boundary:** Don't eliminate factors buyers truly value (especially safety or accessibility) — test assumptions before cutting.

See: [references/errc-grid.md](references/errc-grid.md) for ERRC templates and exercises.

### 5. Six Paths Framework

**Core concept:** Six systematic ways to look beyond existing industry boundaries and spot blue ocean opportunities.

| Path | Look across | Example | How to apply |
|------|-------------|---------|--------------|
| **1. Alternative industries** | Different forms solving the same need | NetJets: alternative to both airlines and jet ownership | Map alternatives → find unmet needs across them |
| **2. Strategic groups** | Clusters pursuing similar strategies | Lexus: luxury at accessible price | Find over/under-served needs → position between groups |
| **3. Chain of buyers** | Purchasers vs. users vs. influencers | Novo Nordisk insulin pens: shifted focus from doctors to patients; Bloomberg: traders, not IT purchasers | Identify every buyer in the chain → serve the overlooked one |
| **4. Complementary offerings** | What happens before, during, after use | Babysitting complements movies → "date night" packages | Map the total experience → bundle away pain points |
| **5. Functional ↔ emotional appeal** | Flip the industry's basis of appeal | Swatch: watches as fashion; The Body Shop: cosmetics as ethics | Identify current appeal → build the hybrid |
| **6. Time** | Irreversible trends | iPod/iTunes anticipating digital music; Tesla on EVs | Project the trend's endpoint → build for it today |

See: [references/six-paths.md](references/six-paths.md) for detailed path exercises.

### 6. Three Tiers of Non-Customers

**Core concept:** Blue oceans are created by converting non-customers, not by stealing competitors' customers — non-customers reveal the demand the industry is leaving on the table.

| Tier | Who they are | Opportunity | Example |
|------|--------------|-------------|---------|
| **1. Soon-to-be** | Edge of your market, minimally using, ready to jump ship | Small shifts win them over | Pret A Manger: professionals who wanted fast AND healthy |
| **2. Refusing** | Considered the industry and consciously rejected it | Remove the barrier behind the refusal | JCDecaux: cities refused outdoor ads until bus shelters came free |
| **3. Unexplored** | Distant markets that never considered you an option | Reframe the offering for their needs | Callaway Big Bertha: beginners and occasional golfers |

**Process:** map all three tiers → find commonalities across tiers → identify what would unlock massive demand → build the offering to convert them.

See: [references/non-customers.md](references/non-customers.md) for non-customer analysis frameworks.

### 7. Strategic Sequence: Utility → Price → Cost → Adoption

**Core concept:** Validate a blue ocean idea in strict order — exceptional buyer utility first, then accessible price, then profitable cost, then adoption hurdles. Failing any gate means rework before proceeding.

| Step | Question | How |
|------|----------|-----|
| **1. Buyer utility** | Is there exceptional utility? | Check six levers (productivity, simplicity, convenience, risk reduction, fun/image, environmental friendliness) across the buyer experience cycle (purchase → delivery → use → supplements → maintenance → disposal); solve the biggest blocks |
| **2. Strategic price** | Is it accessible to the mass of buyers? | Price against alternatives in other forms, not your costs or direct competitors — Cirque priced above circus, below theater |
| **3. Target cost** | Can we profit at that price? | Strategic price − target margin = target cost; hit it via ERRC and partnering — never by sacrificing utility, never "later" |
| **4. Adoption** | Who will resist — employees, partners, public, regulators? | Surface hurdles upfront: educate stakeholders, run pilots, engage partners early |

**Ethical boundary:** Win adoption by genuinely addressing stakeholder concerns, not by steamrolling the employees and partners who bear the costs of the shift.

See: [references/sequence.md](references/sequence.md) for sequence templates; [references/implementation.md](references/implementation.md) for execution and organizational alignment.

## Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Why It Fails | Fix |
|---------|-------------|------|
| **Competing on the same factors** | Stuck in the red ocean | Use ERRC to eliminate and create factors |
| **Differentiation without cost focus** | Not value innovation | Eliminate/reduce while raising/creating |
| **Incrementalism** | No leap in value | Aim for 10x improvement on key factors |
| **Imitating competitors** | Red ocean thinking | Look across the six paths for alternatives |
| **Ignoring adoption** | Great idea, no execution | Plan for adoption hurdles upfront |

## Quick Diagnostic

| Question | If No | Action |
|----------|-------|--------|
| Does the Strategy Canvas show a different curve? | Still in the red ocean | Apply the ERRC framework |
| Are we eliminating AND creating? | Not value innovation | Use all four actions |
| Are we breaking the value-cost trade-off? | Traditional competition | Identify over-served factors to cut |
| Are we converting non-customers? | Fighting for existing share | Map the three tiers of non-customers |
| Is there a leap in buyer utility? | Incremental improvement | Aim for 10x on key utility levers |

## Reference Files

- [blue-ocean-examples.md](references/blue-ocean-examples.md): Cirque du Soleil, Netflix, Yellow Tail, Nintendo Wii case studies
- [value-innovation.md](references/value-innovation.md): Value innovation frameworks and formulas
- [strategy-canvas.md](references/strategy-canvas.md): Templates, examples, how to create
- [errc-grid.md](references/errc-grid.md): Four Actions Framework exercises and templates
- [six-paths.md](references/six-paths.md): Detailed exercises for each path
- [non-customers.md](references/non-customers.md): Three-tier analysis frameworks
- [sequence.md](references/sequence.md): Utility, price, cost, adoption templates
- [implementation.md](references/implementation.md): Execution, organizational alignment

## Further Reading

Based on Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne:

- [*"Blue Ocean Strategy"*](https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ocean-Strategy-Expanded-Uncontested/dp/1625274491?tag=wondelai00-20) by W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne (Expanded Edition)
- [*"Blue Ocean Shift"*](https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ocean-Shift-Competing-Confidence/dp/0316314048?tag=wondelai00-20) by W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne (practical guide to making the shift)

## About the Authors

**W. Chan Kim** and **Renée Mauborgne** are professors of strategy at INSEAD and co-directors of the INSEAD Blue Ocean Strategy Institute. *Blue Ocean Strategy* has sold over 4 million copies in 46 languages, making it one of the best-selling business books of all time.
