Home > Terms > English (EN) > Generic Strategies
Generic Strategies
Definition: Michael Porter developed three generic strategies, that a company could use to gain competitive advantage, back in 1980. These three are: cost leadership, differentiation and focus.
Description: The cost leadership strategy advocates gaining competitive advantage due to the lowest cost of production of a product or service. Lowest cost need not mean lowest price. Costs are removed from every link of the value chain- including production, marketing, and wastages and so on. The product could still be priced at competitive parity (same prices as others), but because of the lower cost of production, the company would be able to sustain itself even through lean times and invest more into the business all throughout.
Examples are the TPS system developed by the Toyota Motor Company. The TPS system aims to cut costs throughout the company, but Toyota cars are still priced at almost the same levels as American or other Japanese cars.
The 'differentiation' strategy involves creation of differentiated products for different segments. A variety of products, each branded and promoted differently with levels of function, allows a company to 'desensitize' prices, and on the basis of being different, charge premium or higher prices. This strategy also provides a hedge against different markets and product life cycles, allowing cash flow to come in even if a few products decline, while others grow or mature.
A prime example of this strategy is Hindustan Lever, which, while focused on FMCG, has a range of products even within the soaps category for different segments. Such a strategy needs strong segmentation, marketing and branding skills.
The 'focus' strategy involves focusing on a narrow, defined segment of the market, also called a 'niche' segment. For example, Porche markets to the particular segment that likes fast and expensive cars and can afford it. A company in a niche market has customers who understand, appreciate and can pay a premium for their indulgence. Competitive advantage - either by cost or differentiation- is created specially for the niche. But the risks are that the niche may not grow, or it may disappear with time and change.
- Part of Speech: noun
- Synonym(s):
- Blossary:
- Industry/Domain: Marketing
- Category: Advertising
- Company:
- Product:
- Acronym-Abbreviation:
Other Languages:
Member comments
Terms in the News
Billy Morgan
Sports; Snowboarding
The British snowboarder Billy Morgan has landed the sport’s first ever 1800 quadruple cork. The rider, who represented Great Britain in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, was in Livigno, Italy, when he achieved the man-oeuvre. It involves flipping four times, while body also spins with five complete rotations on a sideways or downward-facing axis. The trick ...
Marzieh Afkham
Broadcasting & receiving; News
Marzieh Afkham, who is the country’s first foreign ministry spokeswoman, will head a mission in east Asia, the state news agency reported. It is not clear to which country she will be posted as her appointment has yet to be announced officially. Afkham will only be the second female ambassador Iran has had. Under the last shah’s rule, Mehrangiz Dolatshahi, a ...
Weekly Packet
Language; Online services; Slang; Internet
Weekly Packet or "Paquete Semanal" as it is known in Cuba is a term used by Cubans to describe the information that is gathered from the internet outside of Cuba and saved onto hard drives to be transported into Cuba itself. Weekly Packets are then sold to Cuban's without internet access, allowing them to obtain information just days - and sometimes hours - after it ...
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
Banking; Investment banking
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is an international financial institution established to address the need in Asia for infrastructure development. According to the Asian Development Bank, Asia needs $800 billion each year for roads, ports, power plants or other infrastructure projects before 2020. Originally proposed by China in 2013, a signing ...
Spartan
Online services; Internet
Spartan is the codename given to the new Microsoft Windows 10 browser that will replace Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer. The new browser will be built from the ground up and disregard any code from the IE platform. It has a new rendering engine that is built to be compatible with how the web is written today. The name Spartan is named after the ...
Featured Terms
Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3 is a 2013 American Sci-Fi adventure film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of "Tales of ...
Contributor
Featured blossaries
stanley soerianto
0
Terms
107
Blossaries
6
Followers
2014 FIFA World Cup Venues
Browers Terms By Category
- News(147)
- Radio & TV broadcasting equipment(126)
- TV equipment(9)
- Set top box(6)
- Radios & accessories(5)
- TV antenna(1)
Broadcasting & receiving(296) Terms
- Zoological terms(611)
- Animal verbs(25)
Zoology(636) Terms
- Biochemistry(4818)
- Molecular biology(4701)
- Microbiology(1476)
- Ecology(1425)
- Toxicology(1415)
- Cell biology(1236)
Biology(22133) Terms
- Yachting(31)
- Ship parts(4)
- Boat rentals(2)
- General sailing(1)