Marketing Warfare

Defensive Warfare
Is what market leaders wage

Offensive Warfare
Is strategy for No.2 or No.3 in a category

Flanking Warfare
Smaller or new players that are trying to get a foothold in a category by avoiding the main battle.

Guerilla Warfare
Is often the land of smaller companies

MARKETING WARFARE
SIMPLY THINK OF COMPETITORS AS THE ENEMY . ATTACK OR FLANK OR KEEP INNOVATING DEPENDING ON YOUR POSITION IN THE STRATEGIC SQUARE.
NEVER HESITATE TO DESTROY COMPETITION OR ELSE U WILL BE A PART OF HISTORY.

Marketing Warfare
Principles of Defensive Marketing Warfare
Only the market leader should consider playing defensive. The best defensive strategy is the courage to attack yourself Strong competitive moves should always be blocked.

e.g : Gillette : The best a man can get. Owned wet shaving market with Blue and Super Blue Blade. Launched Trac II (nonadjustable ) and ATRA (adjustable double bladed razor)

Marketing Warfare
Launched Good News (inexpensive disposable razor to counter BIC (French company which launched disposable
razor) Mach 3:- 3 bladed razors Market share of over 60% in USA/Europe. Other examples: INTEL (286,386,486,PENTIUM etc.) J&J : :- Tylenol :- reduced price from $2.85 for 100 to $1.85 to beat Bristol Myers Datril.

Marketing Warfare
Principles of Offensive Marketing Warfare:
The main consideration is the strength of the leaders position. Find a weakness in the leaders strength and attack at that point. Launch the attack on as narrow a front as possible. e.g. : AVIS :-- Rent from AVIS . The line at our counter is shorter:- AVIS attacked Hertz:-- weakness inherent in Hertzs position as the largest Rent-A-Car company. XEROX: Out-innovated the leader 3M (by developing a better copying process-dry instead of wet copying)

Marketing Warfare
Fed Express used principle 3 by saying When it absolutely , positively has to be there overnight (small packages less then 70 pounds)= challenged the leader EMERY.
Wall Street Journal was the leader (2 Mn daily) for financial and business information. The name positions it as a financial paper , so the business side can be attacked == Business Times , The daily business newspaper.

Marketing Warfare
Principles of Flanking.
A good Flanking move must be made into an uncontested area. Tactical surprise ought to be an important element of plan. The pursuit is as critical as the attack itself. Michael Dell flanked the computer industry and Direct Marketed:- $ 500 Mn company in 5 years. Miller Lite flanked the beer industry with Lite beer. DEC flanked IBM (Minicomputers)

Marketing Warfare
Mercedes-Benz flanked GM (Cadillac cars ) at the high end. Volkswagen's Beetle flanked GMs big cars. Avon flanked cosmetic companies who used traditional distribution methods by resorting to direct door-to-door selling.

To launch a true flanking attack you must be the first to occupy the segment. Otherwise its just an offensive attack against a defended position. Flanking skill requires exceptional foresight because there is no established market for the new product or service. Indian examples: Nirma, Close-up.

Marketing Warfare
Principles of Guerilla Marketing Warfare.
Find a segment of the market small enough to defend. No matter how successful you become , never act like a leader. Be prepared to bug out at a moments notice. e.g.: Rolls-Royce : High priced Guerilla : nobody competes because 1) existing market is small 2) The company initially has an enormous advantage. Indian examples: 1) Arun Ice-cream : T.N 2) Naturals Ice-cream : Mumbai 3) Crown CTV : Gujarat. (Geographic