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Marketing warfare strategies - Competitive Analysis

   Posted On :  26.06.2018 03:28 am

In the plan for future, many more pages will be dedicated to the competition.

Marketing warfare strategies
 

Al Ries and Trout (1986) Observed

 
In the plan for future, many more pages will be dedicated to the competition. More and more successful marketing campaigns will have to be planned like military campaigns”.
 
Four types of combat positions are identified here for discussion.
 

The Defensive Warfare

 
This is essentially recommended for market leaders. It aims at protecting against regulatory provisions like M.R.T.P industrial licensing restrictions, etc. according to authors, a leader has to spend more time in safeguarding its interests against government, social and public environment rather than the immediate next competitor. A leader should also be able to attack itself i.e., drop products, which may appear to make the leadership position vulnerable. The three principles of defensive warfare are:
 
 
1. Only the market leader should consider playing the defense,
 
2. The best defensive strategy is the courage to attract yourself,
 
3. Strong competitive moves should always be blocked.
 
 

The Offensive Warfare

 
‘Offensive’ warfare is almost like a mirror image of the defensive warfare. The numbers twos of the industry are suggested to follow the offensive strategy by identifying a weakness in leaders strength and at that point. The principles of ‘offensive warfare’ are
 
1. The main consideration is the strength of the leaders position,
 
2. Find a weakness in the leader’s strength and attack at that point.
 
3. Launch the attack on as narrow a front as possible.
 

The Flanking Warfare

 
According to Ries and Trout, ‘flanking’ the most innovative form of marketing warfare. Over the years, most of the biggest marketing success has been flanking moves. It is recommended to firms with limited resources. These firms cannot afford to fight the large firms holding number one or two positions on the same battleground. Flanking can be achieved in any manner such as flanking with low price, flanking with high price, flanking with small size, flanking with large size, flanking with distribution, flanking with product form. The principles of flanking warfare are:
 
1. A good flanking move must be made in an uncontested area
 
2. Tactical surprise ought to be an important element of the plan
 
3. Consider the pursuit as critical as the attack itself.
 

The Guerrilla Warfare

 
The last form is the guerrilla warfare. Most of the players in a marketing war would be fighting in the market place like the guerrillas. According to Ries and Trout, “smaller companies can be highly successful as long as they do not try to emulate the giants in their field, “Like flanking form there can be many guerrillas; geographic guerrillas, demographic guerrillas, industry guerrillas, product guerrillas and high end guerillas. The principles of guerrilla warfare are:
 
1. Find a segment of the market small enough to defend,
 
2. No matter how successful you become, never act like the leader
 
3. Be prepared to a buyout at a moment’s notice. 
Tags : Strategic Management - Environmental Analysis and Diagnosis
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