The Chameleon Strategy: Adapting to Digital Trends Without Losing Your Color?

In the wild, chameleons survive by doing one thing exceptionally well: they adapt. They change color, adjust to temperature, and blend in new environments without panic. Small businesses today face the same reality. The most adaptable MSMEs survive the changing market.

Digital trends move fast. Yesterday it was Facebook. Today it is WhatsApp Business, mobile money, TikTok, and whatever comes next. Many MSMEs resist these shifts, hoping things will “settle.” They will not. Refusing to adapt in the digital environment is akin to standing still in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The Chameleon Strategy is not about blindly copying every new trend. It is about responding intelligently. Smart businesses adopt tools that align with their customers’ behavior. If your customers live on WhatsApp, that is your shopfront. If short videos grab attention, that is your billboard. If mobile money removes friction, that is your cashier. Adaptation does not mean losing your identity. A chameleon alters its hue, not its essence. Your values, quality, and promise stay the same; only the delivery evolves. The businesses that struggle are often the ones trying to look “professional” while ignoring where real conversations happen.

Agility also means testing, learning, and adjusting quickly. Some posts will flop. Some platforms will not work. That is fine. Adaptation thrives on feedback, not perfection. In today’s market, customers reward businesses that feel current, responsive, and easy to engage with. The rest fade quietly into irrelevance. So, ask yourself: Are you adapting to your environment or are you hoping it adapts to you? In the digital jungle, only chameleons survive.

Writer: Genevieve Sedalo (PhD)