Hi,
Von Clausewitz said an army should not seek to meet an enemy front on across its entire front. Instead it should seek the weakest spot of its enemy's defences and concentrate all the forces it can afford to engage on that spot. The chances of breaking through are greatest. Once a breach has been made, the enemy's lines can be attacked from behind and routed.
The lesson for marketers is this: Concentrate your communications and brand messaging on a single-minded theme that strikes at the weakest spot in your competitor's marketing operation. "We're no. 2 so we try harder," was the positioning Avis took against market leader Hertz. Market leaders, when they become big and unwieldy, are often not leaders in service. Henry Ford said customers could have his T Model in any colour they liked, so long as it was black. IBM in corporate computing and Microsoft in software are not known for their customer focus. Common weak spots in market leaders include service, flexibility, range, price, relationship management, and access. Leaders hare a natural tendency towards arrogance and complacency which challengers can exploit.
Cheers!
Michael Kiely
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