Is what you're fixing broken? (and correct customer targeting)

I just read a line in an article talking about the current browser wars between Google and Microsoft, in which it basically said that while Google let the new Caffeine slip out quietly, Microsoft had unleashed Bing with a massive media blitz. The problem, the article stated, was that Microsoft is attempting to replace something (Google's current search engine) that people aren't all that unhappy with to start.

Hmmm... mental wheels start turning around that nugget. How does that apply to your business, and your competition? Are you fixing something that isn't broken?

If you're the market leader, and you already have the share, you clearly don't require the blitz behind Bing and can instead let it leak out like Google has in this case. Once the engine is out of public beta they are simply going to replace the current engine with it. I've used it a few times, and it is MUCH faster than the old engine, one that you and I didn't know was "slow" until it got faster! So Google, in my opinion, has taken the right attitude and deployment strategy here. They already have the share and do not need to spend money trumpeting they are #1. People will figure it out once the engine is replaced and gets faster for something they were going to do anyway. Under-promise, over-deliver.

Microsoft, on the other hand, didn't have a broken product. They were competing (although not too well) in the search category. With Bing coming out, I presume what they wanted to do was change the game enough to make people at least navigate that way, try it out, and see substantial differences in results and interface from Google. Honestly, Bing is not bad in any way, I've noticed it showing up in places such as Zillow to power real estate searches. It has the built-in ability much like Google to integrate maps, searches, "yellow page" features, etc. But what it doesn't do is innovate enough to convince people who have a set habit, bookmark, or toolbar to go search somewhere else.

So the Google paragraph applies to only one person in a given market segment. The leader. You have market share, and you're doing just fine. However, it's important to note what Google did here. They didn't fix what wasn't broken! There is going to be no major search engine tweak, there's no massive difference in the interface (or even really small ones). It's still familiar and comfy to people. They just dropped in a big-block V8 where there was a small four previously. Consumer feels at-ease with familiar interface, but now is moving even faster along the information superhighway. That is a successful product upgrade because it makes better what is already a quality product.

Not to say that Google shouldn't look to increase market share at all times. They should, until they have 100%, and then they can't rest either. But in an odd way this quiet release generated more buzz than the TV campaign around Microsoft. Heck, most of us live on line now at all hours. We tweet, post, pic, and text our little behinds off. And web news and opinions are instant and globally available. We don't have to wait for that commercial during our favorite show. All of us know someone who is our "computer guy/gal" (if you're not already him/her). Do you trust what he/she tells you to use? Of course you do! You think they know more than you do and would pick the right stuff. So Microsoft is trying to convert Ma and Pa Kettle with a commercial, one user at a time. Google has infected the "guy/gal-in-the-know" who will pass this information along to everyone they know, faster than TV, more widely available, and with a bit more credibility on a personal level. Brilliant!

If you're Microsoft, or any other competitor, you have a tall order - innovate. How do you go about putting something down on paper that can leapfrog the leader? You have to take cues from other parts of life. Think about anything you do, whether it's buying gas, grocery shopping, or commuting. What simple things make it easier for you to get there or accomplish your goals? What complex things help you? Going the other way, what makes it harder to complete those tasks? Take those ideas and apply them to your business. What are you doing to make it easier for people using your service/business to accomplish their goals? People are creatures of habit. If you can get people on board with a quality product or service that accomplished its goals with minimum hassle, I have news for you: people won't balk at price as long as you're competitive.

Yes, you can simply copy the leader. But I don't advocate that. They have a successful model. What you should do is learn from them. What works about what they have? And if you had the same underpinnings, could you apply that to your business to make it even better? Be unique, be driven to be the best, and always look at non-traditional angles. It will serve you well. Get to your core audience/consumer, and understand who they are! I think Google knows. Microsoft knows it wants everyone to use Bing, but they missed the boat on who to target first. Trust me, that previous sentence can be applied to domestic vs. foreign cars or any other number of situations we face daily in this country.

At the end of the day, you must know what you do, how you deliver, and what drives people to your business. Then you have to make it better! Ask hard questions, and make sure you infect the people who influence the people you want to target. But if you are having success, don't tear it down and build over again simply to do something. Remember: don't fix what isn't broken!