The #1 mistake that kills your ocean business

The #1 mistake that kills your ocean business: positioning your ocean solution as the hero of the story.

Most ocean innovators and entrepreneurs have a scientific/technical background. If that’s you, you’re probably passionate about the solution, the science behind it, the sustainability and positive change it could bring. The truth is, your customer won’t care about your solution; they care about their problem.

In your website, social media, and even in-person interaction, forgetting about this could make people disengage from your idea, destroying your chance to get the message across.

Here is a way to reframe your “story” so that people will find it clear and compelling. Following a framework developed from classic storytelling structures (i.e., mythology, literature, and the movie industry) and summarised by Donald Miller in the book Building a StoryBrand, it could transform how you talk about your ocean business:

🦸 The customer is the hero. Not you. Not your business. Not your solution. The most important thing to ask yourself is: what does the hero actually want?

🤔 The hero encounters a problem preventing them from achieving what they want. After all, every story needs a villain, you just need to find out yours.

👨‍🏫 Every hero is looking for a guide, and this is where you come in. You (or your business) are the guide, helping the hero get where they want to go.

🗺️ The guide gives the hero a plan, where your ocean solution is the tool that the hero can use to defeat the villain. Plans provide clarity and remove perceived risk.

⚠️ Define the stakes: What does success look like for your customer with your solution? What does failure look like without it?

Making the shift, from presenting your solution as the hero to positioning it as the guide’s tool, changes everything.

It transforms "Our omega-3 supplements contain 30% more DHA from sustainably sourced algae" into "Support your heart and brain health with clean and pure plant-based Omega-3”.

Next time you're describing your ocean product, ask yourself: "Am I talking about what matters to ME or what matters to THEM?". 

The answer makes all the difference.