8 Companies Growing Business Through Innovation

Businesses need to keep up with customer demand to succeed. And in 2021, this requires not only innovation, but purpose. Customers are paying attention to more than just your product or service. They care about how you do business, too. Your business offerings should fill a need and make a positive impact.

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Since its launch in 2015, Nurx has revolutionized the sexual health industry by offering online birth control. Their convenient prescription and delivery process makes getting contraception easier than ever. Seeing a need and opportunity, Nurx has continued to expand their business offerings.

The company now offers at-home STD testing, HIV PrEP, migraine treatment, emergency contraception, and dermatology services. This selection of services shows awareness of their target market, as well as where various markets overlap.

Instagram is a hub for creative expression, as well as B2C and B2B marketing. The social media platform recently launched several features that make it more than just a photo-sharing app. Their new Instagram Reels feature rivals competitor app TikTok, allowing users to post creative video content. Users can also use the new Shop feature to browse products from various retailers.

These features have helped Instagram keep up in the ever-changing social marketing industry. Multimedia is increasingly prevalent, so companies need to keep up. With Instagram’s recent additions in place, businesses now have several avenues to reach customers. Plus, they never have to leave the app.

Airbnb is transforming the travel industry by making home stays the vacation norm. They recently expanded their services to include experiences, so users can book travel activities as well. After going public in 2020, the company announced over 100 app and website changes for 2021.

Some of these changes include flexible destination and dates, wish lists, smoother navigation, and special pricing for caregivers. Users can filter destinations and experiences for outdoor adventures, as well as rentals near points of interest. There are also various upgrades for hosts.

Airbnb is riding the success of their platform and creating a smoother travel experience for their customers. These changes reflect their priorities.

Outdoor brand Patagonia is well-known for snazzy sports apparel and social responsibility. However, the company also sells backpacking foods for their customers through their Patagonia Provisions line. The company expanded its food offerings in 2020 to offer even more options including pasta, sauces, and baby food.

This Provisions marketplace offers nutritious food products with a focus on regenerative organic agriculture. Through these new offerings, Patagonia expanded its market to cater to people at home as well. Customers can buy items like nut butters, maple syrup, rice, and olive oil — none of which is trail-ready.

The Covid-19 pandemic rattled the fitness world. To survive widespread closures, gyms had to adapt. Orangetheory quickly met changing demand by launching an online class platform. The Orangetheory Live platform offers real-time classes to club members. The company also offers free workouts online through Orangetheory At Home.

Online workout classes exploded during the pandemic, and this model is likely here to stay. Even as gyms reopen, Orangetheory will continue to offer online classes.

This gives members the flexibility to exercise from anywhere, which is convenient for busy schedules. However, the continuation of Orangetheory Live and At Home helps the company compete with businesses like Obé and Peloton.

Lyft is another company that responded to market demand at the beginning of the pandemic. The popular rideshare service saw an opportunity to branch out. The company started a delivery service that rivaled that of Uber and DoorDash. Customers can order meals, groceries, and essentials like medical supplies through Lyft Delivery.

This service helped customers obtain the essentials at the beginning of the pandemic, while giving drivers more opportunities to work. However, drivers couldn’t deliver items exclusively. They also had to be available for passenger rides.

Lyft already had success as a ride-sharing app. However, the company saw room to expand their services and broaden their customer base in an increasingly competitive ride-sharing industry.

Starting as an online book retailer, Amazon is the classic example of a company expanding its business services. There’s no question that the corporation has become an online shopping giant. But in recent years, Amazon has become a key player in the home tech industry as well.

Their Echo, Fire, and Ring lines are smarthome staples, and they continue to expand these products. Some of their new releases include a Blink outdoor camera, new Echo Dot speaker and an HD Fire tablet. Releases like these help Amazon keep up with competitors like Google.

Expanding its services to include smart home products changed the industry. “Alexa” is a household name, and streaming services have had to keep up with the popularity of the Fire Stick. Useful expansions mean that Amazon’s loyal customers can upgrade their home technology without switching brands.

When it comes to auto innovation, Tesla is leading the charge. The company’s electric vehicles set a new standard for the future of cars. Now, it has its sights set on new frontiers.

Consumers and corporations alike have their eyes on Tesla’s future releases, a few of which may be coming soon. The products on the horizon could include a more affordable consumer car, commercial van, and more advanced auto technology.

One of the most notable new products Tesla has designed is a battery-powered semi truck. The company hinted at a 2021 release, but the vehicle is still in production. Companies like UPS, Walmart, and Pepsi have placed holds on the truck. An expansion like this is also a step into the commercial market, boosting Tesla’s role as a B2B producer.

Expanding business services isn’t always the answer. However, companies can successfully expand their offerings by fulfilling a need for their target market. Whether customers want to stream workout classes or order migraine medication online, there are creative ways to fill these needs. As demand continues to change, these companies will likely be on the forefront of innovation.

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