Blue Ocean Strategy, published by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne in 2005. While avoiding use of Porter’s name, Kim and Mauborgne nevertheless attack him head-on, arguing that the “five forces” analysis is a formula for remaining in “red oceans,” where the sharks compete mercilessly for the action. The key to exceptional business success, they say, is to redefine the terms of competition and move into the “blue ocean,” where you have the water to yourself. The goal of these strategies is not to beat the competition, but to make the competition irrelevant.
