Dr. Damien McLoughlin of UCD Smurfit College of Business
Photo Credit: Tim Webb

Dr. Damien McLoughlin of UCD Smurfit College of Business spoke about 5 game changers of the business world and 5 take home rules that game changing companies follow.

1. No fads, no fashions, just change
2. Don't be first, don't be best, be different
3. Know where growth comes from and get to where it is
4. Don't act now!
5. It is about you - and everything you do

Many of the companies that Dr. McLoughlin highlighted are very well known: Apple, Nestle, KFC, JBS. But one of these companies was different. Zespri, the main exporter of New Zealand Kiwi fruit.

Zespri is a prime example of rule #2 - Don't be first, don't be best, be different. But how on Earth can a company be different in the Kiwi market. How can you differentiate yourself when you and your competitors are all selling the same brown fuzzy little fruit.

Zespri was committed to being different. So, they worked on a new variety of Kiwi and finally came out with the Kiwi Gold. It is still brown and fuzzy on the outside but it is gold and extraordinarily delicious on the inside. Zespri only claims 30% of the global Kiwi market but since they have the special Kiwi Gold variety they are making 70% of the total value of the market. Zespri is different. Zespri is a game changer.