I’m still taken by Rolf Jensen’s notion that there are only six markets. Here they are, with some examples:
1 The market for adventure – lastminute.com, Ann Summers, Boardman Bikes, , Cisco, Virgin Atlantic
2. The market for love and belonging (togetherness) – BBC Worldwide, Wickes, Centreparcs. National Trust
3. The care market: To care and be cared for – Guide Dogs, Body Shop, babeswithbabies, BUPA, Hilton, Fairy
4. The who-am-I market: defining ourselves – The Economist, London Business School, , Sunday Times
5. The market for peace of mind: feeling safe and secure – UPS, Pfizer, Bosch, Zurich, AA, Sage, Eddie Stobart
6. The market for convictions: having opportunities to demonstrate them – The Medical Foundation; BBH; Liberal Democrats

Or perhaps this only does a good job at defining which category you’re in? Perhaps you get interesting when, having established your category credentials, you begin to taste of something else: c.f. Eddie Stobart or UPS, where peace of mind is essential, but you’re really buying like the taste of adventure, expansion and possibility. To be continued.