A compelling success of Cirque du Soleil is that it did not win by taking customers from what was said the already shrinking circus industry, which historically catered to children. Cirque du Soleil did not compete with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. Instead, it created an uncontested market space that made the competition irrelevant.

It appealed to a whole new group of customers: adults and corporate clients prepared to pay several times as great as traditional circuses for an unprecedented entertainment experience. Significantly, one of the first Cirque productions was titled We Reinvent the Circus.

History also shows that industries are constantly being created over time and that industry conditions and boundaries are not given; individual actors can shape them. Companies need not compete head-on in a given industry space; Cirque du Soleil created a new market space in the entertainment sector, generating strong, profitable growth as a result.

Sun Life Financial is the proud sponsor of Varekei, Cirque de Soleil Philippine Big Top touring show, which opens on June 23 under the Blue-and-Yellow Chapiteau at the Luneta, across the Quirino Grandstand.

In an interview with Sun Life’s president and CEO Rizalina G. Mantaring, this columnist asked why this strategic move to sponsor Cirque du Soleil and align their awe-inspiring tour de force performance with Sun Life’s brand.

“Both of us share the sun as our core symbol and we both trace our roots to Canada. We look forward to showcasing how bright life is under our sun and sponsoring Varekei is a preview of that,” she said.

Cirque du Soleil is one of Canada’s largest cultural exports. Created in 1984 by a group of street performers, Cirque’s productions have been seen by millions and millions of people in over 250 cities around the world.

“It’s an iconic Canadian show. This is a chance for Filipinos to experience world-class performances. We both are global brands and we have the same core values of excellence. It’s a perfect show for us,” Mantaring said.

The sponsorship is a great match for Sun Life and Cirque, which seeks partnerships with companies that share the same attributes, such as excellence, performance and engagement.

This strategic move is a new way of thinking about and executing strategy and a break from competition. In celebration of its 116th year in the country, Sun Life is giving away 116 tickets to lucky winners thru the “Experience the Sun, Experience Cirque du Soleil” promo. Interested parties must log on to www.sunlife.com.ph and answer a simple question about Sun Life. Moreover, participants may upload a video sharing experiences they had with the company to win a free trip to New York.

“This is the first time we’re sponsoring them in Asia. Cirque has very high standards. I’ve watched several of their shows in the past in other countries. It’s really amazing—the manner in which they perform, it’s really world-class,” she enthused.

The two global icons—Cirque du Soleil and Sun Life—are unified by one shining symbol. “Cirque is a brilliant fusion of acrobats, drama, music and magic in Varekai,” she pointed out.

Pronounced as ver-ay-‘kei meaning “wherever” in the Romany language of the gypsies, Varekei is an explosive fusion of drama and stunning acrobatics set against innovative music and vivid choreography.

Unlike traditional circus shows having a series of unrelated acts, each Cirque du Soleil creation has a theme and story line, somewhat resembling a theater performance. The theme brings harmony and an intellectual element to the show—without limiting the potential for acts.

This columnist asked around what this Cirque du Soleil looks like. I’ve gathered that Cirque also borrows ideas from Broadway shows. For example, it features multiple productions rather than the traditional “one for all” shows. As with Broadway shows, too, each Cirque du Soleil show has an original score and assorted music, which drives the visual performance, lighting and timing of the acts rather than the other way around. The show features abstract and spiritual dance, an idea derived from theater and ballet. By these factors into its offering, Cirque du Soleil has created more sophisticated shows.

Moreover, by injecting the concept of multiple productions and by giving people a reason to come to the circus more frequently, Cirque du Soleil has dramatically increased demand.

“For us, you would see how greater life is under the sun, we even have circus,” she enthused.

Cirque du Soleil offers the best of both circus and theater, and has reinvented a new form of entertainment, one that is markedly different from both traditional circus and theater.

In this sense, value innovation at Sun Life is more than innovation. It is about strategy that embraces the entire system of a company’s activities. Just like Cirque du Soleil, which created a unique and exceptional value, Sun Life’s value curve has focus that is well guided toward building a company’s strategic profile.

The reality is that Sun Life never stands still. The company continually evolves. Operations improve, markets expand and built to last that has a long-running track record of superior performance.

Cirque du Soleil gained a new understanding not only of circus customers but also a circus of noncustomers: adult theater customers. It glamorized the tent, an element that, ironically, many circuses had begun to forfeit in favor of rented venues. Seeing that this unique venue symbolically captured the magic of the circus, Cirque du Soleil designed the classic symbol of the circus with a glorious external finish and a higher level of comfort, making its tents reminiscent of the grand epic circuses.

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Permanent record

Now everyone seems to know the truth. The failed ad campaign, the upset customer, the broken product and service, the service reps having a bad attitude. They will never go away.

There’s no human face out there nor the problem solved and the complaint answered. Beware of coming to their territory. Don’t even try. Their mistakes live on, forever, on permanent record. Sad to say, their story does not end on a positive note.