How to Attack a Category Leader? Attacking a category leader is always difficult. Some strategists recommend attacking

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How to Attack a Category Leader? Attacking a category leader is always difficult. Some strategists recommend attacking a leader “head-on” by targeting its strengths. Other strategists disagree and recommend flanking and attempting to avoid the leader’s strengths. Your assignment is to pick a category leader and follower in any industry and decide on one of two ways to challenge them.

1) Attack the leader head on. Examples-

a) Subway had a campaign that attacked McDonalds.

b) MAC attacks PC (Microsoft) head on.

2) Use a flanking strategy and avoid a head on assault Example-

a) Athletic shoe companies usually avoid head on attacks.

b) Many service industries avoid head on attacks. You will select a market leader and a follower, and then select only one of the two approaches above. You will describe how you as CMO of the follower will challenge the market leader. State your strategy; explain your reasoning and why the approach you selected is stronger than other. When considering a Strategy, What are some of the strengths of a market leader?

A market leader as defined here, generally, has the largest market share in the relevant product, market, usually leads the other firms in price changes, new-product introductions, distribution coverage, and promotional intensity. Trying to attack the leader on its strengths requires point-of-differences in brands, sophisticated marketing positioning, and “deep pockets” for the challenger. The underling strategy for performing a head on attack to a market leader is: If the attacking firm sees that the market leader is not serving the market well; that the attacker has out-innovated the market leader through product innovations or other differentials; or if the market leader is conservatively spending or is “milking” the market. A flanker attack can be directed along two strategic directions—geographic and segmental. In a geographic attack, the challenger spots areas where the opponent is underperforming. In segmental, the challenger uncovers underserved market needs and attempts to penetrate these markets with its products. Flanking is in the best tradition of modern marketing that holds that the purpose of marketing is to discover needs and satisfy them. Flanking is particularly attractive to challengers with fewer resources.