Part 4 of What a Go-To Does Differently: Ownership

This is the fourth installment of a multi-part series to talk about what a Go-To does differently from the me-too pack.

• Part 1 talked about how a Go-To focuses.
• Part 2 talked about the importance of establishing a beachhead.
• Part 3 talked about how a Go-To obsesses on behalf of its market.

Now we’ll talk about a Go-To’s purpose in life.

A Go-To Has a Higher Purpose: It Takes Market Ownership of a Problem

A Go-To says, “I’ll take this one. I’ll own this problem.”  A Go-To fixates on a market problem (or opportunity) and declares intellectual ownership for that problem or opportunity, effectively becoming the ringleader, the primary thought leader, for related discussions and market activity.

Cisco doesn’t talk endlessly about sensors and routers, it talks endlessly about how the “Internet of Everthing” will save lives or reduce risk for companies. GE has taken intellectual ownership for the “Industrial Internet of Things.”

Kaiser Permanente, the large health maintenance organization (HMO), doesn’t just offer an integrated delivery system – where you and your family can get all of your health care in one place, with a single set of medical records and a  multi-disciplinary team devoted to your well being  – it believes this model is the way of the future. Kaiser has been running its “Thrive” campaign for over ten years, offering tips for healthy living.  Many of its ads don’t talk about Kaiser at all. They address Kaiser’s higher purpose. One print ad shows an image of a jump rope curled into the shape of a human brain, with the copy, “Exercise doesn’t just make you feel better, offering a good defense against depression and anxiety. It helps you stay more alert and focused. Something you can think clearly about as you knock out just one last set. To learn more go to kp.org/thrive.”

According to Kaiser’s Diane Gage Lofgren, senior vice president, brand strategy, communications and public relations, and Debbie Cantu, the company’s vice president, brand marketing and advertising, Kaiser wants to play the role of  health advocate “completely dedicated to health and well-being with the fact that, no matter what their stages of life, people want to be as healthy as they can be.”

Salesforce.com was founded to solve the problem of expensive enterprise software implementations, with an initial focus on the salesforce. Facebook’s goal is to connect everyone on the planet. Apple created iTunes to make it easy for iPod users to legally download songs vs. illegal options that were rampant at the time. Cybersecurity firm, RSA, is regarded as one of the most trusted brands in its space and, as a demonstration of its “ownership of the problem,” hosts the world’s largest and most respected annual information security conference.

So it’s not just about solving a market problem. It’s also about keeping the conversation alive and working with the market to make continuing, collective progress against the problem.

What problem do you or will you own?