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b. Product strategy: Product strategy is the plan that a company develops to guide
the development, marketing, and management of its products or services. It
involves identifying target markets, determining product features and benefits,
setting pricing and distribution strategies, and creating a plan for product
promotion and sales.
c. Digital strategy: Digital strategy is the plan that a company develops to guide its
use of digital technologies and channels to achieve its business goals. It involves
identifying opportunities for digital transformation, developing strategies for
digital marketing and customer engagement, and creating plans for using data and
analytics to drive business performance.
Trade policies: Governments can establish trade policies that affect a company's
ability to compete in domestic and international markets. For example, trade
policies such as tariffs or quotas can increase the cost of importing or exporting
goods, which can affect a company's competitiveness.
PORTER’S DIAMOND
Factor conditions: The availability and quality of resources such as labor, capital,
natural resources, and infrastructure can influence a country's competitive
advantage in certain industries. For example, a country with a highly skilled
workforce and advanced technology may have a comparative advantage in the
production of high-tech products such as semiconductors or software.
Firm strategy, structure, and rivalry: The strategies, structures, and competition
among firms within a particular industry can also influence a country's
competitiveness. For example, a highly competitive market with a large number of
firms may lead to innovation and the development of new technologies, while a
less competitive market may lead to complacency and lower levels of innovation.
POTER’s FIVE FACTORS of why some industries are attractive than others
Potential Entrant
Substitutes
1. Industry competition
This factor considers the number of competitors in the market and how strong
they are. It also compares the quality of each competitor's products and services.
Competition is high when an industry has many companies of similar size and
power. Customers can change from one company to another at little cost.
Therefore, in a competitive market, businesses are more likely to launch
aggressive advertising and marketing campaigns and lower their prices to attract
customers. These strategies can reduce a company's profits.
Competition in an industry is low if few companies are offering the same products.
They have more opportunities to grow and be profitable. Things that can affect
competitive rivalry include:
Number of competitors
Variety of competitors
Differences in products
Differences in quality
Industry balance
Industry growth
Customer loyalty to existing brands
Barriers (high costs) to exit the industry
2. The threat of new entrants
This factor considers how easily competitors can enter the market. As more
companies join an industry, existing businesses risk losing some of their customers
and profits. The threat of new entrants is high if companies can enter the market
easily and at little cost or if your company's idea or technology is not patented or
protected.
Things that can make it more difficult for competitors to become established
include:
Government regulations
Customer loyalty to existing brands
High costs of entry
Limited access to distribution
Technologies needed
Experience needed
Economies of scale
3. The threat of substitute products
This factor considers how easily customers can switch between similar products or
services. If many products fill customers' same needs, those products become
interchangeable. Companies lose a share of the market's profits when customers
use products interchangeably. Profits also decrease if companies begin lowering
their prices to try to compete with substitute products. If a product or service is so
easy to make that many substitute products exist, companies also risk customers
doing it themselves.
Things that can affect substitute products' potential threats to a company include:
The number of substitute products
The quality of substitute products
The price of substitute products
The customer's likelihood to switch between products
Customers' perceived difference between products
The competition's aggressiveness
The competition's profits
4. Bargaining power of buyers
This factor considers how price changes affect customers' buying decisions and
their ability to lower market prices. Buyers have greater bargaining power when
their numbers are small but the amount of substitute products is high. As a result,
they can cause prices to lower and company profits to shrink. Buyers have less
bargaining power when they buy in small amounts and have few alternative
product options.
Things that can affect how much power buyers have over a company's pricing
include:
The number of customers
How much product each customer is buying
The buyer's ability to substitute products
The buyer's sensitivity to price
The buyer's access to information (such as on the internet) so they can
compare products and prices
5. Bargaining power of suppliers
This factor considers the number of suppliers a company has access to and how
easily suppliers can increase their prices or reduce their product quality. The more
suppliers a company has to choose from, the easier it is to switch to one that costs
less or produces a higher-quality product. If few suppliers offer the products a
company needs, they have more power and can charge more for their services.
The company's profits can decline as a result.
Things that can affect a supplier's power over company profits include:
The number of suppliers
The size of the suppliers
A company's ability to find substitute suppliers
The uniqueness of the supplier's product
The quality of the supplier's product
The strength of the supplier's distribution channels
The volume of product needed
The cost of switching suppliers
The industry's importance to the supplier's business
Q3
3a. Explain the effect that competitors have on organisations b. Explain the
types of competitors that are in existence according to Kotler (1997) c. Explain
the process involve in completing a competitor's analysis and the source of
information of competitors
a) Competitors can have a significant impact on organizations. They can affect the
demand for the organization's products or services, pricing, distribution, and
marketing strategies. Competitors can also influence the organization's strategic
decisions, such as entering new markets or developing new products.
Understanding the nature of competition and the strategies used by competitors
is critical for an organization to develop and implement effective business
strategies.
b) According to Kotler (1997), there are four types of competitors:
Brand competitors: These are firms that offer similar products or services
under the same brand name, such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
Product competitors: These are firms that offer similar products or services
but under different brand names, such as McDonald's and Burger King.
Generic competitors: These are firms that offer substitute products or
services that can fulfill the same customer needs, such as fast-food
restaurants and convenience stores.
Total budget competitors: These are firms that compete for the same
customer's disposable income, regardless of the industry or product
category. For example, a customer might choose between buying a new car
or taking a vacation.
c) The process of completing a competitor's analysis involves several steps:
1. Identifying competitors: The first step is to identify the organization's key
competitors. This can be done by analyzing the industry structure,
researching market share, and studying customer behavior.
2. Gathering information: Once competitors are identified, the organization
needs to gather information about them. This can include analyzing their
financial statements, marketing and promotional activities, product
offerings, distribution channels, pricing strategies, and customer
demographics.
3. Analyzing strengths and weaknesses: The organization needs to analyze
the strengths and weaknesses of its competitors, as well as their strategic
goals and objectives.
4. Identifying opportunities and threats: Based on the information gathered,
the organization needs to identify opportunities and threats presented by
its competitors. This can help the organization to develop a competitive
strategy that leverages its strengths and exploits the weaknesses of its
competitors.
The sources of information for competitor analysis can vary depending on the
industry and the organization's objectives. Some common sources of information
include:
Annual reports and financial statements
Market research reports
Industry publications and news sources
Government reports and statistics
Social media and online reviews
Direct observation and mystery shopping
Interviews with industry experts and customers.