Differentiated presents a new way forward for companies and nonprofits seeking purpose-powered strategic differentiation following the pandemic's reset and sweeping shifts in consumer behavior. Every chapter begins with a real-world story illustrating the practices to follow. Each story showcases strategic differentiation in action as it teaches organizations how to set themselves apart by questioning outdated assumptions, embracing new approaches, and converting guesswork into transformational decision-making.
Grounded in a customer mindset, a concept perfectly attuned to today's digital era, the book's conversational tone and relatable insights paint a pathway to discover an organization's unique Differentiation Zone(R). Understanding what matters most to your customer yields groundbreaking results for purpose-driven organizations seeking competitive advantage.
Written by an artist-strategist steeped in creative thinking, Differentiated distills two decades of insights into two essential lessons, the themes for the book's main sections.
- Section 1, "Embrace Your Customer's Mindset," presents the Six Guiding Principles, each in a chapter. Each chapter opens with a story and closes with essential learnings.
- Section 2, "The Essence of Your Strategy is Choice," presents the Differentiation Zone's Four-Step Process. Each step introduces a modern-day exemplar and updated approaches. Every chapter references the author's insights and shares her latest tools.
Karla invites the reader into her studio, illustrating her innovative process and resulting creations. She discovers unique Differentiation Zones for each of the purpose-driven organizations showcased throughout the book. She illustrates how clarity of customer aligns with clarity of mission and differentiation to accelerate strategic success. We see firsthand that decades-old tools such as SWOT, PEST, and the classic competitor categories are out of sync when customers define our competitive reality and determine our future relevance.
About the Author
Karla Raines is an accomplished strategist serving purpose-driven organizations in dynamically competitive industries. Her commitment to mastering the art of strategy led her to a career-defining eureka moment in 2018. Differentiated shares the story of her inventive strategy process, Differentiation Zone(R), through real-life vignettes and powerful lessons pulled from over two decades of consulting experience. Karla co-owns an international research and strategy firm, Corona Insights, where she's led countless empathy-based and data-driven strategy processes. She recognizes that creativity and imagination are crucial to the strategy process, and wouldn't have discovered Differentiation Zone without both. Her "aha" moment in 2018 occurred when she saw something she'd never seen before. The experience crystallized her intuitive process and inspired her to reverse engineer what she'd taught herself to do over years of hands-on practice.
With a unique ability to see beyond what is, Karla leads her clients to discover authentic differentiation and craft plans to realize a competitive advantage. Abstract painting propels Karla's professional creativity and risk-taking as it fuels her soul; see https: //karlarainesart.com. Artists look at the world differently, and creativity opens a new portal. Years of painting have taught Karla to get out of her own way, not to tell herself no, and be open to the power of flow. She wouldn't have discovered Differentiation Zone without it. Visit the Differentiation Zone website at https: //differentiationzone.com.
