Big brands look increasingly vulnerable to disruptors. Where once they enjoyed a competitive advantage based on the vast expense of running national ad campaigns, distribution networks and manufacturing facilities, today small-scale rivals can penetrate their fiefdoms with targeted digital marketing and the services of contract manufacturers and logistics companies.

New-York listed SharkNinja (US:SN) – a disruptor’s name if there ever was one – epitomises the buccaneering spirit of a new breed of nimble and innovative brands. The company, which floated in New York in summer 2023, makes a wide range of household gadgets aimed chiefly at cleaning, food preparation and cooking, under the eponymous Shark and Ninja brands.

The strategy that has powered the company’s sales from $250m in 2008 to $4.3bn last year is all about plugging into the psyche of its customers, which is helped by an active online presence.