1 How Swift Motion Leads to Success

Earlier this year, a woman with a penchant for Dr. Pepper uploaded a brief, 11-second video to her TikTok account. It was an impromptu, hummed melody, yet it rapidly went viral as countless users mimicked her tune. Recognizing this momentum, Dr. Pepper's official brand account stepped in. Remarking that it seemed like they had stumbled upon something extraordinary, the brand directly engaged with customers’ voices and amplified them into an official marketing campaign. Crucially, the advertising video explicitly credited the original TikTok creator. By conveying that this narrative was co-created with customers rather than dictated unilaterally, Dr. Pepper was lauded once again as a brand that genuinely respects its customers' sensibilities.

Let me share another, similar case.

In 2023, a foul ball hit by Shohei Ohtani struck a stadium scoreboard with such force that part of a Coors Light advertisement shattered, leaving a black square on the screen. Following this incident, every time Ohtani stepped up to the plate, the stadium engaged the roaring fans with playful messages displayed on the screen, such as, “We’re sending you the bill for that, Shohei.”, and“Please don’t break anything else, Shohei!” Coors Light capitalized on this situation as an opportunity. By mirroring the exact shape of the broken, black square into a new design, they produced fresh advertisements and even released a special 'broken scoreboard edition' product line, triggering an entirely new wave of viral engagement.

Both cases underscore what is possible when one acts with agility to seize upon unforeseen events.

2 From 'Purpose-driven Purchasing' to 'Discovery-driven Purchasing'

The lexicon of customer communication is evolving. Customers today are far more responsive to co-created narratives than to one-way messaging, often discovering greater authenticity in serendipitous encounters than in meticulously planned campaigns. Moreover, these interactions, engagements, and viral moments predominantly unfold on social media platforms. To truly move our customers, we must be able to recognize that fleeting spark—when a brand and a customer connect—and act on it without hesitation.

Methods of consumption are similarly undergoing a rapid transformation. In the past, purchasing was driven by recognized needs, followed by comparisons of price and quality. Today's consumer, however, frequently stumbles upon products while navigating the digital landscape and makes purchases driven by spontaneous interest. The popular hashtag ‘TikTokMadeMeBuyIt' perfectly illustrates this shift.

This is why we emphasize SAT—Social, Amazon, and TikTok. These platforms are not merely channels where many customers congregate; they are fundamentally transforming the very methods of customer communication and consumption by merging content with commerce. The success or failure of our business hinges on how quickly we can respond to these changes in our customers' daily lives. And this ability is like a muscle: it is vital to continuously develop and train it.

3 Explore, Inquire, and Execute Swiftly

📌 Let us explore opportunities with relentless tenacity.. We must be diligent observers of customer reviews and feedback. We must look beyond our own perspectives, actively examining issues at our customer touchpoints in real-time through the vantage point of the consumer. Look for clues in the everyday frustrations customers encounter, and pay close attention to unusual customer responses that we did not foresee during product development.

📌 Let us inquire persistently. When you identify a signal at a customer touchpoint, it is vital to decipher its underlying context. Why did the customer choose that specific product? What prompted the purchase at that precise moment? And what is the deeper meaning of these choices? Astute questioning serves as the catalyst for discovering new markets and unlocking unseen possibilities.

📌 Let us execute swiftly. It took just three days for Coors Light to release their new advertisement after the foul ball struck the scoreboard. Crucially, the journey from receiving the idea pitch to the final decision took only two hours. Opportunities born of serendipity do not wait. Waiting for absolute, 100% certainty is a surefire way to miss the golden window of opportunity. If we are 70% confident, it is crucial to first attempt a new idea, then learn and evolve through the process of execution.