Strategy Canvas Template

What is a Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas for Strategists and Business Leaders?

The Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas is a powerful visual diagnostic tool that helps strategists and business leaders map how their company and competitors invest across key competing factors in their industry. Rather than competing in crowded "red oceans" of existing market space, this framework enables you to create "blue oceans" of uncontested market space by visualizing opportunities for differentiation and innovation.

Why Use a Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas for Strategic Decision-Making?

Strategists and business leaders struggle with finding meaningful differentiation in competitive markets, often resulting in commoditization and price wars. The Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas solves this by:

• Providing clear visualization of your competitive landscape

• Identifying areas where competitors are investing similarly

• Revealing opportunities to eliminate, reduce, raise, or create value factors

• Aligning leadership teams around a shared strategic vision

• Creating a foundation for breakthrough strategic moves

How to Use the Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas Template for Market Differentiation

1. Identify Key Attributes: List 8-10 factors your industry competes on (price, features, service levels, etc.)

2. Map Competitors: Score each competitor on these factors from low to high and connect the dots

3. Plot Your Company: Map your current value curve using the same scale

4. Analyze Patterns: Identify where all competitors follow similar patterns and where gaps exist

5. Redesign Your Strategy: Use the ERRC framework (Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create) to develop a distinctive value curve

FAQs About the Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas

When should strategists use a Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas?

Use this template when entering new markets, repositioning your offering, or when facing intense competition and commoditization.

How does the Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas differ from traditional competitive analysis?

Unlike traditional analysis that focuses on beating competition within existing parameters, this canvas helps you redefine the parameters themselves to make competition irrelevant.

What makes a successful Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas implementation?

The most effective canvases focus on customer-centric factors, maintain visual clarity with 6-10 factors, and lead to concrete strategic actions through the ERRC grid.

Tips for Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas Success

• Keep factors customer-driven rather than using internal jargon

• Use different colors for each competitor's curve for clarity

• Involve diverse team members to gain broader perspectives

• Focus on both current reality and future possibilities

• Remember that the goal isn't just comparison but strategic reinvention