Is your business model on the catwalk to success?

You hear the phrase “business model” being used more and more in B2B circles, as in, “So what’s your business model going to be after 2010?”

If you think social media was confusing, brace yourself. There are at least 25 kinds of “business models” and several new books on the subject will tell you more than you will ever need to know about “disruptive innovation” and why your company’s business model should be rebuilt.

Business model reconstruction is an appealing concept, because it implies a tangible, engineered approach to organizational change. But here’s the really interesting part -- central to the success of every business model is the process of building value definition and value recognition.

All ascending business models, those moving away from commoditization, are based on the achievement of deeper value definitions (brand identity) and value recognition (marketing). Segmentation matters here, based on profound insights into a segment’s values, beliefs and aspirations.

It seems that the more complicated B2B marketing gets, the more we return to the basics of branding and marketing. What will your business model be after 2010? The answer depends on whether your company’s leadership believes in the power of highly informed and strategic branding and marketing.

jb