Abstract
Greenwald’s statement is clever, glib, and memorable, Michael Schrage comments.1 But is it true? Some manufacturers are still making good money selling toasters and better toast. Commoditization isn’t inescapable, but companies need a specific strategic focus to prevent it from becoming a black hole. Many once-mighty companies now find themselves fighting for their survival in “Me-Too Hell” as fakes and copies are easier when you are dealing with basic commodities, such as toasters; therafter, it is harder to differentiate one brand from another.
In the long run, everything is a toaster.
—Bruce Greenwald, professor, Columbia Business School
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Notes
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© 2010 Christian Dussart
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Dussart, C. (2010). The Tide of Commoditization. In: Creative Cost-Benefits Reinvention. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230114630_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230114630_2
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