The Role of Marketing Strategies in Successful Disruptive Technologies

A disruptive technology (DT) is defined as an emerging technology whose arrival in the marketplace signifies the eventual displacement of the dominant technology in that sector. A potential DT can also facilitate the creation of new markets previously untapped or unserved by the existing products/services to address the unmet need. The identification and commercial success of a potential DT lie in understanding the market in terms of consumer behavior, developing new products/services, and subsequently developing innovative marketing strategies to promote them effectively to the target market. The purpose of this paper is to propose a set of strategies that might aid an organization to successfully market a DT (or a DT-intensive product/service). The proposed strategies are subsequently prioritized based upon empirical studies to determine their relative criticality for successful launch and sustenance of such products/services. The contribution of this paper to the domain of high-technology marketing is two-fold. First, the research conducted is expected to further socialize the notion that DT is unique among the marketing practitioners. Second, the proposed strategies along with their relative criticality will provide a set of guidelines to the decision-makers in the field of technology and marketing to gain a better understanding of DT marketing, which is fast gaining ground in an ever-intensifying competitive marketplace.