MARKETING WARFARE

Marketing warfare
Alries and Jack trout
analysed by jagadish


I) principles of defensive marketing warfare

1) only market leader should consider playing defense

this cannot be true it is so because even a new entrant who enters into the industry also has to play defensive role to protect himself from the onslaught of existing players in the industry in which new entrant is existing into

if a new entrant is entering into new industry segment then defensive strategy is not needed because he is the only player in the new segment . a new entrant would play defensive strategy when he encounters a competitor in the industry segment he is into

everyone in industry plays defensive strategy and not just market leader

2) the best defensive strategy is the courage to attack yourself

this jagadish would agree because if you don't attack yourself someone would come (competitor)
to smash your own concept. if you don't have the habit of smashing your own concept. on regular basis your cannot improve your own quality staff. in the process you would lose your own product. you must have the habit of cannibalizing your own product so that you can stay ahead in comparison to your competitors.

3) strong competitive moves should always be blocked

it is difficult to find what strong competitive moves can be every move can be called a Strong competitive move if looked in perception angle through different people. so best strategy is cannibalise your own product frequently to stay ahead of your competition invest lot in research and development

cannibalise your own product in best defensive strategy

II) principles of offensive marketing warfare

1) the main consideration is strength of leaders position

when you attack a competitor in any industry segment you have to come up with what your strength are and what are your weak point once you know your strength it comes easy for your to attack your competitors based on your strength

eg suppose a company strength is quality start advertising your strength with the help of your employees. that is the easiest way to promote companies product.

2) find a weakness in the leaders strength and attack at that point

it is true for competitors to attack leader at his weakness but on other hand if you start attacking at leaders strength also in near future their is a likelihood of leader strength becoming weal k and a good s entry for competitor to become leader so jagadish advised that both strength and weaknesses have to be attacked

eg if company strength is quality highlight by comparing competitor leader strength with its quality strength comparison

3) launch the attack on as narrow a front as possible

for a new entrant if it wants to compete with leader first attack on those geographical locations where leader hasn't entered or has least penetration if this policy is adopted by new entrant it can gauge how comfortable it is to fight against the leader

for a leader it is very simple strengthen those areas first where there is least penetration has been done

Defensive marketing warfare continued

4) by placing people at right places :

the question here arises as to how company board members know where employees fit in the organization. it can be known only by job enlargement

job enlargement : any job taken up by the employee of a company which is done in addition to the job he has been assigned to is job enlargement

5) by attacking your competitor : it is always said that attack is best defense . how do you attack your competitor go for flank warfare by attacking those areas where companies are weaker . make those areas of market economies strong which in return would benefit in long run

principles of guerrilla warfare :

1) find a segment of market small enough to defend .
jagadish prasad also adds offense

how do you defend a small segment by satisfying the demands , needs of consumers . how do you know the needs of people by attacking focus opinion leaders of segment which are dominant in those geographical location in which company is planning to either enter or new area it is choosing for itself to enter

how do you go for an offense in company strategy

by targeting opinion leaders in advance and accepting them in company roles and giving them salary to influence decision of masses opinion leaders take pulse of masses because of their regular interaction with masses of their own nature

2) no matter how successful you become never act like a leader

if company doesn't act like a leader company would always be in a defensive mood so if you act like a leader you would always feel like improving standards of your product

would you like to promote your product aggressively or would you like to be in defensive mood of facing threatening moves from leader always being in afraid position which would at last force you to withdraw the product from the market so jagadish advises that act like a leader not as a follower either guerrilla or offensive marketing warfare

attack is best defense because under defense their is a possibility of product being withdrawn even if it is doing very good for defensive mood psychology

3) be prepared to buyout at a moments notice

under guerrilla warfare you bug out at a moments notice
because under guerrilla you are under defensive strategy . if you change the strategy into offensive also then logical thinking takes place in your mindset where you exist out not out of fear but out of good logical thinking with both for or against tactic.

so bug out not out of fear but with logical thinking

4) under guerrilla warfare you save time and money

if you save money and time you get benefit of helping your product , reach masses which need the most. you can spread this product later to other areas

eg nirma started out with small segments went on to become a big mnc , even ghadi detergent of india

principles of flanking warfare

1) a good flanking move must be made into uncontested area

2) tactical surprise out to be an important element of plan

it is true without tactical surprise element product cannot be launched , tactical mover should be their either in cost, quality or in focused area (niches)

3 the pursuit is as critical as the attack itself

it is true without pursuit against a competitor you cannot be eliminate his products in market so pursuit , attack and defense against competitors is required

it has to be noted that in marketing warfare we talk about only competitors and how to destroy or eliminate products of competitors but marketing warfare Can also be used to support complementors

principles of complementor

1) complementor and his added advantage to respective companies

2) complementor and product development

3) complementor and product life cycle

4) complementor and brand value

5) complementor and its risk returns

end of marketing warfare with above questions to be solved later