Feb 19th, 2025 | Andrew Milton, Managing Director
There is a fundamental shift that happens when you move from simply participating in your industry to actively shaping and influencing it. This transition from industry player to industry shaper is not just about size or how long your company has been around. It’s about mindset, positioning, and your ability to lead the conversation.
The Two Paths: Operating vs. Shaping
- Operating within the system – following established rules, meeting industry standards, and competing on incremental improvements.
- Shaping the system – defining new standards, shifting customer expectations, and influencing regulations, policies, and industry direction.
The first path is predictable, reliable, and often profitable. But it also leaves you vulnerable.
You’re either shaping your sector, or you’re operating in a sector shaped by your competitors.
So how does your brand make that leap?
The Illusion of Leadership
One of the biggest misconceptions about industry leadership is that it can be claimed through self-proclamation. Many brands describe themselves as “the leading” company in their space, but leadership isn’t declared, it’s demonstrated.
It’s not enough to put racing stripes on a car; you have to tune the engine.
If you want to be an industry shaper, you can’t just operate within the existing system. You need to understand how it’s structured, where its inefficiencies lie, and how you can redefine the landscape for the better.
What It Takes to Shape an Industry
- Understanding the System’s Weaknesses
The best way to change an industry is to understand its shortcomings. Most brands ask their customers, “What do you want?” But industry shapers go deeper. They ask, “What is broken? What will matter tomorrow? How can we shape what’s next?”
This requires a mix of foresight, deep customer understanding, and the courage to act before the market forces your hand.
- Moving Beyond a Business-as-Usual Mindset
Steady growth might be enough to keep the lights but is that all you want for your brand?
Consider a company that develops cybersecurity software. They could be simply another vendor, improving detection speeds and reducing costs year on year. Or they could take a bigger stance, positioning themselves as the authority on digital trust, shaping industry standards for data protection, and leading conversations around ethical AI and cybersecurity resilience.
Being an industry shaper means seeing beyond your immediate product or service. It’s about identifying where your brand has the power to influence change.
- Influence Over Imitation
System-shaping brands don’t just respond to industry trends, they create them. They don’t wait for competitors to innovate; they push the entire industry forward.
Think about how Aldi and Lidl reshaped the supermarket industry. They didn’t reinvent grocery stores, but they shifted customer expectations around price, quality, and shopping experience.
On the other hand, Waitrose shaped the industry in a completely different way. Not by disrupting it, but by being exceptionally good at what they do. Industry shaping is not always about breaking the system. It is about influencing it.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
If you’re in an industry that’s moving fast (and most are), standing still isn’t an option. Customers are looking for brands that don’t just operate within a sector but actively contribute to its evolution.
The brands that shape their industries aren’t just seen as providers; they’re seen as authorities, influencers, and visionaries. That level of trust, recognition, and influence leads to long-term strategic advantages.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to be the biggest to shape your industry. You just have to think beyond the product you sell and start defining the future of the space you operate in.
So, is your brand just playing the game or changing it?
