Can corporate adaptation be mimicry type

May 30
09:33

2011

Ranganathan

Ranganathan

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What is mimicry adaptation? Who does the mimicry adaptation in nature? There are several small creatures has the ability to remain indistinguishable from their environment

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What is mimicry adaptation?  Who does the mimicry adaptation in nature? There are several small creatures has the ability to remain indistinguishable from their environment and which is called ‘mimicry adaptation’.  The hawk moth is the classic example for the above.  The insect hawk moth when remain with dried leaves,Can corporate adaptation be mimicry type Articles it will be very difficult to differentiate.  Why this term/phrase is so important or relevant to the corporate? and for a discussion?

Many corporate knowingly or unknowingly engage in the above process, thinking it would give success.  The classic example is how the various personal care products are introduced in the market by different corporate. 

The best fairness/skin lightening cream of one of the biggest MNC’s was ruling the roost for several decades.  Many Indian players later entered the market with their products.  The first approach these companies adopt was how to mimic their product as much close as possible with the existing product in the market.  Even the packaging approach was also no way different.  It was simply a copy cat approach with some unbelievable promise or benefit claim. 

These companies when they aspire to introduce their skin lightening/fairness product, they kept the then successful and the world renowned product of the MNC as their ecosystem.  Hence they decided that their product should not look too different from the ecosystem as people may not accept it. 

In nature, some creatures have developed the ‘mimicry adaptation’ to remain indistinguishable to the predator but the corporate follow the same to remain distinguishable and also to catch the attention of the consumers, how wonderful the approach is. 

Success story of some corporate is followed in dictum, verbatim and literatim by others.  Competitive psychology not the creative psychology is dominantly prevalent in corporate.

Even to introduce a branded coconut oil in the market, the subsequent movers followed the success story of the most popular brand of an Indian company and they preferred to use blue coloured containers more or less identical to the successful brand. 

Every corporate wants to be successful.  But how to achieve the success or to define the success is not clear to many.  Copy cat or parrot learning approach they adopt to reap success.  They believe that following the successful corporate with minimal difference will ensure success. Success story of others should be used as source of inspirations and not as a tool to make ones own success.   

The so called reverse engineering research is done by the R&D of most corporate to understand the formulation nuances of the competitor.  Once it is understood, their job become simple; reproduce the same with minimal difference.  The R&D scientist spent more expertise and time in understanding the product nuances of the competitor than creating or inventing a concept or a product that is very novel, relevant and most useful.

In nature, copy cat adaptation or parrot learning approach is never in existence.  Time has come; modern corporate must know how to carve their success through the unmet needs and not by trying to photocopy the success model of others.