7.3 Sharpen the Competitive Angle: The Art of Repositioning

Raymond Li first dreamed up the JetLev—a water-propelled jetpack—in the early 2000s. The concept? Strap into a backpack, connect to a floating pump, and blast above the water using powerful water jets.

It was an engineering breakthrough. Li filed his patent in 2005, envisioning search-and-rescue missions, bridge inspections, and technical applications. His early prototypes worked, but the market didn’t bite. Municipal agencies were wary of liability and industrial buyers didn’t want the novelty factor.1

For five years, JetLev failed to gain traction. Then came the pivot.

Li noticed something at boat shows and water sports expos: it wasn’t the technical audience leaning in. It was thrill-seekers, tourists, and extreme sports fans. People didn’t want a JetLev to inspect bridges—they wanted fun.

Li shifted his entire strategy:

• Target Market Pivot: From industrial users to vacationers and entertainment venues

• Distribution Pivot: Instead of selling units to governments or businesses, he leased JetLev packs to water resorts and adventure parks

• Positioning Pivot: He reframed JetLev as the ultimate water thrill ride—not a tool

By 2011, JetLev had created a new category: water-powered flight experiences. Resorts from Dubai to Cancun began offering JetLev rides at premium prices, generating not just equipment sales but recurring revenue streams.

Dr. Bob Wagstaff invented a tongue scraper to combat bad breath—a real problem faced by anyone suffering with halitosis. He patented it. He spent $40,000 on a television infomercial that earned only about $4,000 in sales. He tried to get Orabrush into retail stores, but no one would give him shelf space. He tried to sell it on the internet but spent $2 for every $1 in sales. Like so many failed products, Dr. Bob’s Orabrush had an element of differentness. It even solved a problem. Until Orabrush sharpened its competitive angle, however, it did not connect with an audience.

Then came the pivot.

It took a groundbreaking YouTube campaign to sharpen the Orabrush angle. Instead of framing Orabrush as a sterile hygiene tool, a savvy student repositioned it as a dating essential—something that could save you from romantic rejection. On YouTube, he demonstrated the product by scraping the back of his tongue with a spoon and saying, “Let it dry and take a whiff; if it stinks, your breath stinks. And if your breath stinks, this is the only kind of spooning you’re going to be getting.”

With the clever repositioning, which played to an emotional leverage point, it clicked. More than 50 million YouTube views later, Orabrush has sold 2.5 million tongue scrapers and now is carried by many mass retailers, such as Target, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, and Amazon.

The clever pitchmen—the Harman Brothers—went on to help launch hits like Poo-Pourri, Squatty Potty, and Purple Mattresses.

Del Sol began humbly: selling casual clothing from a mall cart in the late 1990s. Their hook? A NASA-developed technology that made graphics on hats, T-shirts, sunglasses, and nail polish change color when exposed to sunlight.

At first, it was just a novelty. Fun, but easy to overlook.

Then came the game changer: Tourists wanted memorable souvenirs—not cheap trinkets. They wanted something distinctive and fun to bring home from vacations.

Del Sol’s team sharpened their competitive angle:

• Need to Believe: Vacationers hated boring souvenirs. Del Sol offered “take-home magic”—shirts and accessories that literally changed before your eyes.

• Reason to Believe: NASA’s color-change technology provided credibility and differentiation.

• Dominate Situations: Del Sol pivoted from mall kiosks to cruise ship ports and resort towns—the perfect context for their products.

• Quantifiable Support: Demonstrations sold the value. Seeing the color change in real time sealed the deal.

• Unique Product Claim: “Color-changing apparel—the magic of your vacation captured in a gift.”

By repositioning, Del Sol grew to over 100 retail locations in vacation hotspots worldwide. Cruise lines and resorts became their primary partners, allowing for high-margin, low-competition selling.