Abstract

The objective of a marketing strategy formulation and appropriate execution is to improve the long run financial performance of a firm / brand that includes improving market share, improving market capitalization, improving return of investment and payback period. The marketing strategist should take cognizance of the market forces that influences the payoffs to the firms. The influence of the competitive scenario on a firm / brand’s payoff is significant and could even at times be substantial in an oligopolistic industry-market structure, where strategic inter-firm dependence could be high. In this scenario, firms / brands need to be systematically prepared to find customer favor in a competitive market; this indeed is the realm of building competitive edge. In this study, we outline the path of improving ability to the process of marketing strategy formulation and examine in greater detail the process of improving the ability to compete or the buildup of competitive edge.  A buildup of competitive edge is expected to improve the firm’s ability to competitive choice in the market place, through a process of improving the pro-activeness and reactiveness of the firm with respect to competitors to the satisfaction of (i) the consumers / target market, (ii) the market-society at large, as well as (iii) the policy makers regulating the competitive environment in the country / world. The improvement in the firm’s ability to competitive choice should reflect both in market share as well as market profitability and lead to improved market capitalization and superior long run financial performance.

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