The Blue Ocean Awards are inspired by the Blue Ocean Strategy concept, which stems from the research work of W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne on innovation through value. In their world bestsellers Blue Ocean Strategy and Blue Ocean SHIFT, the two INSEAD professors deciphered how any company can break free from its competitors (the Red Ocean) to create a new market (the Blue Ocean) by proposing a divergent offering inspired by the experience of "non-customers" in its industry. W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne are professors of strategy at INSEAD and co-directors of the INSEAD Blue Ocean Strategy Institute in Fontainebleau. They are number 2 in the international Thinkers50 ranking of management gurus.