What to do when you have been disrupted?
Test cricket matches played over 5 days have been around for over 150 years.
Yet dwindling crowds has suggested that they were showing all the signs of disruption.
One day cricket then the 20:20 version provided a seemingly faster, shorter and more engaging alternative.
The test cricket leaders were faced with a decision.
Should they let test cricket whither or die or try and do something about this threat?
Incumbents can follow 6 strategies to respond to disruption:
1. They can ignore the disruption and hope it goes away
2. Seek further legal or regulatory protection (think Uber)
3. Adopt an aggressive PR campaign (think the mining industry’s response to a carbon tax)
4. Play around with a few new incremental initiatives
5. Disrupt their own business by reinventing some or all of their products or services (i.e. think Iphone when they bring out their new generation line)
6. Disrupt other businesses or industries
In this case, the leaders selected option number 5.
They launched the world’s first day and night test match overturning a 100 years of tradition.
And what’s more they used a pink ball not the traditional red one.
This was after considerable testing with a number of state matches to trial the concept.
They also offered cut-price tickets for people to come in to the last sessions.
The result?
Records crowds to the Adelaide test.
Options 5 and 6 in the end are the only options available to a respond to a disruptive threat.
Small, minor changes simply will not work nor hoping that it will go away.
Disruption can only be addressed by having the courage to disrupt your own business and attempt to reinvent it.
Sometimes it just needs a strong leadership team and perhaps an outside facilitator and you can get started.