Environmental scanning - competitor analysis - Lecture 3 Flashcards
how can competitive advantage be done
by offering lower prices than competitors for similar products and services or by providing more benefits that justify higher prices
competitor analysis
systematic attempt to identify and understand the key elements of a competitor strategy (porter’s 5 forces)
what are Porter’s 5 forces *
threat of new entrants, bargaining power of customers, threat of substitute products, bargaining power of suppliers, rivalry among competitors
what actually is Porter’s 5 forces (not what they are)
the model is a framework for analysing the nature of competition within an industry
example of threat of substitute
computer over typewriter
threat of new entry features (Porter’s 5 forces)
time and cost of entry,
specialist knowledge,
economies of scale,
barriers to entry
power of suppliers features (Porter’s 5 forces)
number of suppliers,
size of suppliers,
uniqueness of service,
ability to substitute
bargaining power of customers features (Porter’s 5 forces)
number of customers, size of each order, difference between competitors, price sensitivity, ability to substitute
rivalry among competitors features (Porter’s 5 forces)
number of competitors,
quality differences,
switching costs,
customer loyalty
critique of Porter’s 5 forces *
assumes classic perfect market,
best applicable for analysis of simple market structures,
assumes relatively static market structures,
based on idea of competition, created before internet/globalisation/deregulation etc
marketing myopia d
situation where a company has a narrow-minded marketing approach and focuses mainly on only one aspect out of many possible marketing attributes eg focusing just on quality and not on the actual demand of the customer (failing to recognise threats from other industries such as road-based travel being a competitor of railways in 1930s)
3 steps necessary carrying out a competitor analysis
identify company’s competitors,
assessing competitor’s objectives strategies strengths and weaknesses and reaction patterns,
selecting which competitors to attack or avoid
what is a strategic group or cluster
group of firms in an industry following the same or similar strategy in a given target market
Porter’s generic competitive strategies
cost leadership, differentiation (perception of uniqueness), focus (niche market)
what are the competitive positions in the market
market leader, market follower, market challenger, market nicher
example of market challenger
pepsi
example of market leader
microsoft, mcdonalds
example of market follower
own brand beans and zara
example of market nicher
fat lad at the back
market leader strategies
try to continue winning greater share of the market from smaller rivals, or try to expand the total market (finding new uses or encouraging greater usage)