Many of today’s most prominent brands didn’t start as the giants they are. They began with one idea, noticed a more significant opportunity, and pivoted. From Dunkin’ Donuts to Zomato, IKEA to Spotify, these companies weren’t afraid to adapt and evolve into something more critical. Here’s how they turned a small start into a billion-dollar success. Here is how brands mastered the pivot
📌Spotify — From Online Game to Global Music Giant ▪The Original Business: Spotify’s founder, Daniel Ek, started with an online gaming company. However, the company was struggling to compete in the crowded gaming market. ▪The Pivot: He noticed the rise of digital music piracy and saw an opportunity to create a legal streaming platform instead. ▪The Outcome: Spotify is now the world’s leading music streaming service, with over 600 million users.
📌Dunkin’ Donuts — From Diner to Coffee Empire ▪The Original Business: A diner named Open Kettle in 1948. ▪The Pivot: William Rosenberg noticed that coffee and doughnuts were the bestsellers — people weren’t coming for full meals, just coffee to dunk their doughnuts. ▪The Outcome: He rebranded as Dunkin’ Donuts, focusing on coffee and baked goods. Today, it’s a $10 billion brand with over 12,000 locations worldwide.
📌Zomato — From Restaurant Blog to Food Delivery Powerhouse ▪The Original Business: Zomato started in 2008 as “Foodiebay,” a restaurant review website. ▪The Pivot: They realized people wanted to order food rather than just read about it, so they switched focus to food delivery. ▪The Outcome: Zomato is now one of India’s top food delivery platforms, worth over $14 billion.
📌IKEA — From Small Goods to Furniture Revolution ▪The Original Business: Ingvar Kamprad started a mail-order catalogue in 1943, selling pens, wallets, and picture frames. ▪The Pivot: Customers showed a massive demand for affordable furniture, so he dropped the small goods and focused entirely on flat-pack furniture. ▪The Outcome: IKEA is now the world’s largest furniture retailer, worth over $100 billion.
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