So why do monopolies inevitably die and/or lose their dominant position?

Because they end up believing that they are above the realities of the marketplace and the need to evolve, to wholly innovate and constantly re-invent themselves. Their first to market position convinces them that their brand position and value proposition is permanently secure. They stop listening to the market, they over-extend their offering, they take on initiatives that are motivated more by ego and largess than by practical consideration of what would serve their customers (or citizens) best. They lose focus on what is relevant and what really drives sustainable value. They ignore the competition. A monopolistic position creates a false sense of competency, alarming forms of “strategic laziness” and a reluctance to take on what I call essential risk.

So is monopolistic aspiration the wrong intention? I think not. The way to avoid the downside of the upside is not to eschew the desire to “own the market” but to eschew ego, to be laser focused about what really matters to the people you serve and to look the truth about it all directly in the eye and act on what you see. Clarity. Humility. Practicality. Candor. Bravery. Ardor.

All key to winning the game again and again.

“Health care options are all over the place, depending on where you work, what your company’s plan is, how much you spend, etc. But it was only a matter of time before someone came up with another solution for folks who want to harness the power of the web for more flexibility. Hello Health may still be a small service, but it’s an interesting look into the possible future of health care.”

Here’s the video…

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David Gianatasio of Adweek asked me today why Holland-Mark’s winning the Hello Health account was so important (other than getting a new piece of business).

I responded by saying that it put us at the epicenter of one of the most important and complex challenges of our time, and at the wheel of a brand and technology that really has the ability to make a tangible difference in the lives of primary care doctors and all of us who need them. In contrast to the obtuse, conflicting, and partisan-driven proposals around health care reform, I can actually see how the Hello Health platform will work to enable a better quality of care at a lower cost. It will significantly reduce paperwork, increase doctor access by patients, eliminate the chasing of insurer payments (which currently takes up to 40% of a primary care practice’s time), and fundamentally free the doctors to do what they do best: care for their patients. It is perhaps most revolutionary in its focus and simplicity, which underscores Holland-Mark’s core belief that if human beings can’t easily understand something, how can they engage with and derive value from it?

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Whatever you call them, I think this is the future of marketing…