Creating Competitive Advantage Dr. Amila Jayarathne

Session Outline Competitor Analysis Competitive Strategies Balancing Customer and Competitor Orientations

Competitive Advantage Competitive Marketing Strategies Competitor Analysis Competitive Advantage An advantage over competitors gained by offering consumers greater value than competitors do. Competitor Analysis The process of identifying key competitors; assessing their objectives, strategies, strengths and weaknesses, and reaction patterns; and selecting which competitors to attack or avoid. Competitive Marketing Strategies Strategies that strongly position the company against competitors and that give the company the strongest possible strategic advantage.

Steps in Analyzing Competitors Why? To plan effective marketing strategies the company needs to find out all it can about its competitors. It must constantly compare its marketing strategies, products, prices, channels, and promotions with those of close competitors. Steps in Analyzing Competitors Identifying the company’s competitors Assessing competitors’ objectives, strategies, strengths and weaknesses and reaction patterns Selecting which competitors to attack or avoid.

Identifying Competitors Normally, identifying competitors would seem a simple task. But companies actually face a much wider range of competitors. Companies must avoid competitor myopia.

Different Forms of Competition Brand Competition Industry Competition Form Competition Generic Competition

Porter’s Approach to Competitive Structure Analysis

Assessing Competitors Determining Competitors’ Objectives Identifying Competitors’ Strategies Assessing Competitors’ Strengths and Weaknesses Estimating Competitors’ Reactions

Strategic Groups A group of firms in an industry following the same or a similar strategy.

Selecting Competitors to Attack and Avoid Strong or weak competitors Close or distant competitors Good or bad competitors

Strong or Weak Competitors The company can focus on one of several classes of competitors. A useful tool for assessing competitor strengths and weaknesses is customer value analysis. Customer Value Analysis Analysis conducted to determine what benefits target customers value and how they rate the relative value of various competitors’ offers.

Strategic Sweet Spot versus Competitors Competitors’ offerings Customers’ needs Company’s capabilities Sweet spot When selecting competitors, the company wants to find the “sweet spot” where it meets customers’ needs in a way that rivals can’t.

“Good” or “Bad” Competitors A company really needs and benefits from competitors. However, a company may not view all of its competitors as beneficial. Good competitors play by the rules of the industry. Bad competitors, in contrast, break the rules.

Finding Uncontested Market Spaces Rather than competing head to head with established competitors, many companies seek out unoccupied positions in uncontested market spaces (No direct competitors) – Blue Ocean Strategy.

Designing a Competitive Intelligence System Main types of information about competitors must be collected, interpreted, distributed and used.

Competitive Strategies What broad marketing strategies might the company use? Which ones are best for a particular company, or for the company’s different divisions and products?

Approaches to Marketing Strategy No one strategy is best for all companies. Each company must determine what makes the most sense given its position in the industry and its objectives, opportunities and resources.

Basic Competitive Strategies Overall Cost Leadership Differentiation Focus

Competitive Positions Competitive Market Positions and Roles Market Leader Market Challenger Market Follower Market Nicher 40% 30% 20% 10%

Market Leader Strategies Market Leader The firm in an industry with the largest market share. Expand Total Market Protect Market Share Expand Market Share

Market Challenger Strategies A runner-up firm that is fighting hard to increase its market share in an industry. Full Frontal Attack Indirect Attack

Market Follower Strategies A runner-up firm that wants to hold its share in an industry without rocking the boat. Follow at a Distance

Market Nicher Strategies A firm that serves small segments that the other firms in an industry overlook or ignore. By Customer, Market, Quality-Price, Service Multiple Niching

Balancing Customer and Competitor Orientations Can the company spend too much time and energy tracking competitors, damaging its customer orientation?

Evolving Company Orientations Customer-Centered Yes No Product Orientation Customer Orientation Competitor Orientation Market Orientation No Competitor-Centered Yes

Summary and Conclusions