About a year ago, I sat on a couch at the Maggs on Media studio beside a representative from YellowWood Marketing agency. 

I was there to be interviewed about a book; he was there to discuss a fascinating shift in South African consumer consciousness. "The shift is this," he explained. "South African consumers no longer care about legacy. They are responding only to 'how you are innovating into my world today.'"

I premised my book on innovation on this critical shift. 

This week's student protests could not have made a stronger case for their findings, even beyond the world of consumer brands. Struggling students, previously a demographic largely in thrall of the ANC, loudly announced that they could care less about the government's political legacy. 'What are you doing for us today?' they demanded. 

Personally, I am adamantly opposed to violence and destruction of property in protests. It saddened me to see reporters on the international news network, BBC World, talking about 'violence in South Africa' with a dearth of surprise. Nevertheless, the principle revealed by this shift is interesting to business owners.  

The takeaway is this: In the face of decreased love of legacy, hungry, upstart, innovating brands can gain serious market-share. Old giants can be toppled, if they speak self-aggrandising language, and fail to answer the question, 'What are you doing to improve my world today?' 

So, who's your giant? Who is the industry legacy brand, present since the dawn of time? What if you opted to use that one principle to attempt to topple them? They may well be caught up in legacy language, leaving customers cold. Could you swoop in and innovate into their customers' world - find a way to help them, today, where the legacy brands are failing? 

If so, you might well own your industry.