Definition of First Mover, Benefits, and Examples of Brands

Making advanced technology a solution for the market will provide long-term benefits for businesses. Logically, this can be understood because no competitors have emerged if the product being created is a new offering on the market. Not only for technology, this also applies to products in the form of goods sold to the market.

Brands that emerge as such pioneers are also known as first movers. There are many benefits that can be obtained by first mover brands. Even so, it is important to pay attention to competitors and maintain consumer trust in the product as an industry standard.

What is First Mover Advantage?

First mover advantage is a term that refers to the advantage gained by a company that is the first to introduce a service to the market. These advantages allow them to build brand recognition and product loyalty.

The advantages that can be obtained by first mover companies apply in business situations that are able to enter a market. Even though they are not the first companies to innovate products, first movers are companies that have succeeded in achieving significant scale in their industry. 

Example of a Brand First Mover

Usually, consumers will also find it easier to recognize the first mover from the brand name. As an illustration, here are some examples of the most popular first mover brands.

• Amazon: The emergence of Amazon as the first major online bookstore meant that the old players were no longer able to keep up. Amazon has even increased its physical store base with low prices so that it gets an unbeatable market share.
• Uber: The launch of Uber was also not the first ride sharing company, but it succeeded in beating and dominating the market, beating Sidecar.
• Kindle: Amazon's e-reader product in 2007 succeeded in creating brand loyalty which took away Barnes & Noble's market share, whose popularity continued to decline.
• Apple: The launch of the first iPhone in 2007 changed the landscape of cellular telephone products for the first time and was followed by HTC which was the first to make Android products followed by other brands.
• Coca cola: Vernors and Dr. Pepper was the debut product that appeared first, but Coke became the first soda product to gain the largest market share.

First Mover Benefits

Some of the brand examples above are of course directly associated with the success of the products they offer. In order to get a more detailed picture of this, below is the first mover advantage on a business scale.

1. Early market share

When you become a dominant product provider, you are also building market share and industry standards. This is usually an advantage that can be exploited in the long term to make it difficult for competitors to catch up.

2. Bigger profits (margin).

You will also benefit from setting a high price because there is no competition from similar products. This allows the product or innovation you create to have a higher margin compared to other products that will emerge from competitors.

3. Strong brand recognition

Being the first brand to appear in an industry also creates high brand awareness. This can be the basis for brand positioning in society. Not only that, your product will also be remembered by customers even if competitors appear in the next period of time

4. Get a learning curve

As a product that has just appeared for the first time, you will get a learning curve that can be used to find solutions for product development. The advantage of this is the ability to solve problems when competitors enter the market.

In this case, you can observe customer behavior and understand their specific needs to become an expert in their field. It will be easier for you to perfect your strategy to become a market leader.

In short, first mover advantage can be an advantage that can increase market share in an industry. When you have succeeded in dominating the market, your product will dominate consumer perception as a reliable product.