The main competitive positions of the company: characteristics and strategy. Strategy

Eldar Aminov Head of the strategic marketing group of OJSC Production Association Krasnoyarsk Combine Harvester Plant

Competitive strategy is a tool in the hands of enterprise managers that allows them to achieve their intended goal. In order for competition to be carried out thoughtfully, it is necessary to develop a competitive strategy, draw up a plan for its implementation and analyze the results of implementing the plan. The developed plan for implementing a competitive strategy helps all employees of the organization clearly understand what function they must perform when working with each market segment and how to behave in the event of certain actions of competitors. In other words, this creates conditions for the coordinated work of managers of various divisions to achieve common corporate goals. And in the market, the company’s actions become interconnected and targeted.

The general idea of developing a competitive strategy is a program of action that allows you to obtain a positive economic effect due to the fact that the company finds itself in a stronger competitive position.

IN general view The development and implementation of a competitive strategy can be represented in the form of a diagram shown in Figure 1.

Picture 1. Stages of development and implementation of a competitive strategy

The above diagram shows that the function of competitive strategic planning in an enterprise is carried out using basic principles, that is, the rules for the formation and implementation of strategy in the market:

continuity and accumulation;
sequence of steps (stages) to be performed;
cyclicality.

The continuity of a competitive strategy lies in the fact that, even before developing a strategy, an enterprise must analyze previous experience, find out what actions were useful in competition and check their relevance at the current moment. In addition, studying past experience will allow the company to avoid old mistakes when developing a new strategy.

The sequence is caused by the dependence of the subsequent stage on the results obtained at the previous one. This will allow you to avoid mismatch between the competitive strategy and market conditions, mistakes that have already occurred in the past, and evaluate the results obtained during the implementation of the strategy.

The cyclical nature of competitive strategic planning is manifested in the fact that the results of the implementation of a competitive strategy must be analyzed and taken into account in subsequent developments of strategies, since the competitive strategy is constantly adapted to the competitive environment.

Competitive strategy is important tool in the hands of managers, since it is aimed at solving a number of tasks and problems that the company faces.

Firstly, the available analytical material, obtained and structured during the formation of the strategy, allows both management and performers to clearly see the situation on the market, the company’s position in it, the reality of goals and ways to achieve them.

Secondly, approved by the company’s management, the competitive strategy acquires the force of an organizational and administrative document, that is, it allows one to concentrate forces in the required direction.

And finally, thirdly, by analyzing its activities in past periods, a company can constantly improve and expand its scope of activities, adequately respond to market changes, strengthen its market position and conquer new markets.

Currently, practitioners often have to deal with a situation where there is a gap between the theory of competitive strategies and the practice of its application in an enterprise. The algorithm proposed below for developing and implementing a competitive strategy for an enterprise can help minimize this gap (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. Algorithm for developing and implementing a competitive strategy

According to the proposed algorithm, the development and subsequent implementation of a competitive strategy is carried out through the sequential execution of eight main stages:

Mission and corporate development strategy of the enterprise.
Formulation of tasks in competition in the market.
Collection and analysis of information about the external and internal environments of the enterprise.
Choosing a competitive strategy for an enterprise in the market.
Analysis of the chosen strategy.
Implementation of competitive strategy through a developed plan.
Analysis of the results of strategy implementation.
Adjustment of an existing strategy or development of a new, more effective strategy that will be able to achieve the objectives set by the overall corporate strategy of the enterprise.

It is important to note that since in the hierarchy of strategic planning the competitive strategy is lower than the general corporate enterprise development strategy, it makes sense to begin developing a competitive strategy after completing work on the general corporate enterprise development strategy.

Due to the fact that the development and implementation of a competitive strategy affects various services and functional units, it is logical to divide the algorithm into phases. All eight stages are divided into three phases:

Preparation phase (stages 1 and 2).
Development phase (stages 3, 4, 5).
Implementation phase (stages 6, 7, 8).

The preparation phase is the responsibility of the strategic planning department and corporate development, or the functional unit responsible for these areas (stage 1). The developed corporate strategy of the enterprise is presented to the management and owners of the enterprise for protection, who, for the enterprise as a whole, finally determine the priority tasks in the competitive struggle (stage 2). Preliminary tasks in competition in the market are formulated in accordance with corporate goals and directions of development of the enterprise.

At this stage, it is necessary to determine the nature of the competitive struggle (for example, offensive or defensive), who exactly needs to be squeezed out in the market, who (for example, competitor “A”) can be forced to divert their resources from market “a” by switching it to this market and weakening its position in the strategically important market “b”). This approach makes it possible to compete globally through local clashes with specific competitors. It must be remembered that only the hierarchy of strategic planning at an enterprise (general corporate strategy - competitive strategy in the market) allows effective global competition. This approach has become especially relevant right now - a global market has formed, and interstate borders have become almost transparent for capital, goods, and labor resources. As a result, a change in the situation in one market can have an impact on another market, and, accordingly, on its participants.

In the development phase, the tasks that were formulated by the management of the enterprise are conveyed to the functional unit responsible for marketing and sales. Subsequently, analysts of this division analyze the market, with the key points of analysis being the intensity of competition in the market and the competitive position of the enterprise (stage 3). Based on the analysis, a suitable competitive strategy is selected (step 4). Next, this strategy is analyzed from the point of view of compliance with general corporate objectives that were formulated by management, as well as from the point of view of the enterprise's capabilities. Marketing competitive strategy, as noted above, is determined based on external factors (analysis of environmental conditions) and internal factors(available resources of the company). In order to get a clear assessment of the internal capabilities of the enterprise and the market situation, you can use SWOT analysis.

The use of SWOT analysis is necessary for systematizing available information and subsequent making management decisions. Therefore, SWOT analysis can be called an intermediate link between the formulation of a company’s competitive strategy and the development of a competitive plan (stage 5). Everything happens in the following sequence:

Determination of the main competitive strategy of the enterprise in the planning period.
Comparison of the internal forces of the enterprise and market situation to understand whether the company can implement the chosen competitive strategy, and how this can be done (SWOT analysis).
Formulation of goals and local tasks, taking into account the real capabilities of the enterprise (development of a competitive plan). Below is a diagram showing the place of SWOT analysis in the development of a competitive strategy (Fig. 3).

Figure 3. The place of SWOT analysis in developing a competitive strategy

As another criterion for assessing and adjusting the chosen competitive strategy, managers need to consider the corporate goals of the enterprise, which are based on the mission and overall development strategy. This coordination is necessary to ensure that the chosen competitive strategy in a particular market does not negative influence for the development of the enterprise as a whole. For example, an attack on competitors (with the aim of ousting them from the market) or the absorption of some of them can significantly increase the company’s market share, but at the same time exceed the standards of antimonopoly legislation or the costs incurred cannot be recouped.

If the competitive strategy satisfies all the requirements, the process of developing a competitive strategy moves into the implementation phase. In this phase, the developed strategy is put into practice - marketing and sales specialists of the enterprise act in the market in accordance with the approved strategy (stage 6). The main difficulty at this stage is that it is necessary to competently implement the developed strategy and then evaluate its effectiveness. The implementation of this task can be helped by a competitive strategy implementation plan, the structure of which is proposed below.

1. Summary.

This section of the competitive plan is the last to be drawn up and in its final form should begin with a statement of goals, a description of the strategy and short plan actions to achieve the set goal and implement the strategy. A summary that helps management quickly understand the main provisions of the plan.

2. Description and analysis of the current market situation.

Brief political and economic situation of the region/country market.

Analysis of the market and consumers of the product in a given region/country.

3. Description and analysis of competition in the market.

Analysis of competitors' activities.

Analysis of the enterprise's competitive position in the market.

Assessing the intensity of competition in the market.

4. Results of the previous period.

Actual and planned results of the previous period.

Analysis of the results of the previous period. Description of the reasons for non-fulfillment or over-fulfillment of the plan.

5. Setting goals and describing the chosen strategy.

The competitive strategy is determined based on the results of a study of the competitive environment and the position of the enterprise in the market.

6. Evaluation of the chosen competitive strategy.

The chosen strategy is assessed based on an analysis of the external environment and internal capabilities of the enterprise (SWOT analysis). In addition, the chosen competitive strategy must be reviewed for consistency with corporate goals. Here you should also characterize the chosen competitive strategy, describe the necessary conditions for the successful implementation of the competitive plan and possible reasons that could interfere with its implementation.

7. Implementation plan for the chosen competitive strategy.

In this section it is necessary to set out:

A. Quantitative goals that define absolute sales volumes and relative growth rates. At the same time, these indicators must be expressed both in the number of units of goods (new customers attracted) and in monetary terms. Another important basic indicator of the planning period is the company's market share, which it plans to occupy by the end of the period.

B. A set of activities and actions to achieve set goals. Competitive strategy is considered in accordance with the marketing mix (four “I” - product, price, distribution, promotion). This circumstance allows it to be successfully implemented by accurately distributing tasks and functions between various departments of the company, as well as subsequently analyzing the effectiveness of the competitive strategy after the planned period. The events must also take into account such points as the need to conduct tests, standardization, presentations, sending specialists for specific purposes (market research, negotiations, participation in exhibitions, provision and development service, and so on.). Each event is assigned deadlines, as well as specific performers.

8. Budget for the planned period.

The required amount of funds allocated for the implementation of the competitive strategy is analyzed.

It is well known that any activity must begin with planning, long before the first step is taken in the chosen direction. The main task of a competitive plan is not only to indicate the direction, but also to describe the route, the procedure for achieving the set goals - conducting research on competitors, preparing response actions and their implementation. Thus, the competitive plan discussed above is an applied tool for the development and implementation of competitive strategies in an enterprise.

At the end of the reporting period, the results obtained during the implementation of the competitive strategy are analyzed, and the resulting effect is determined (stage 7). At this stage, the main role is played by the competitive plan, which, in essence, is the source of accumulation of experience by the enterprise. By analyzing its activities in past periods, an enterprise can constantly improve and expand its scope of activities, adequately respond to market changes, strengthen its market position and conquer new markets. Key questions that need to be answered:

Is the chosen strategy correct?
competitors' reaction?
correctness of the planned activities and compare the results obtained with the planned ones?
effectiveness in completing assigned tasks?
highlight successful and unsuccessful approaches, methods, ideas?

If the competitive strategy turns out to be effective and has positive results for the company, then issues of its adjustment and relevance in the next reporting period are considered. After which an updated competitive plan with new goals is developed (step 8). If the competitive strategy did not have a positive effect or had negative consequences, the reasons are determined and a new competitive strategy is developed.

Often, a competitive strategy is something isolated in the strategic planning of an enterprise, yet it is directly integrated into it and is its integral part. Submitted by step-by-step algorithm The development of a competitive strategy and a plan for implementing the developed strategy make it possible to establish a closed cycle of competitive strategic planning.

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Day J. Strategic Marketing. M.: Eksmo, 2003. P. 159.

Hill Charles W.L. International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. – McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2004.

Bagiev G.L., Tarasevich V.M., Ann H.Marketing. – M.: Economics, 1999.

Stage 1: determining the goals and directions of development of the organization, analyzing the external environment for the organization, as well as analyzing internal capabilities, advantages and weaknesses. Stage 2: the enterprise’s choice of a competitive strategy for penetration and presence in the market (impact on the long-term presence of the product in the market and determining, to a large extent, the choice and development by the management of the organization of a subsequent competitive strategy for presence in the market, and ultimately the competitiveness of the organization). Stage 3: choice of behavioral strategy and competitive strategy (Competitive strategy characterizes the choice by the organization’s management of the main methods of competition: price or non-price within the framework of behavioral strategy). Stage 4: selection of a functional strategy (In a market economy, organizations mainly develop the following functional strategies: marketing strategy, financial strategy, quality strategy, innovation strategy, production strategy, social strategy, strategy of organizational change, information strategy, etc. The functional strategies of an organization are directly related to the implementation of its competitive strategy and have priority for its successful implementation).

The competitive environment of the enterprise, the subjects and factors that determine it.

The competitive environment of an enterprise is formed as a result of the impact on the market of many different factors, characteristics. a certain scope, time period and intensity. It is also determined by the type of competition in the market in question. Subjects are the same as factors. Entities create conditions for competition. There will be 6 main factors: 1) The state and its policy in the field of competition regulation (a number of elements of state policy will be highlighted: antimonopoly policy, financial policy, customs policy, patent and licensing policy); 2) Enterprises entering the market and intensifying competition (the emergence of new competitors leads to a redistribution of market shares and depends on the level of the “entry barrier” (the set of economic, technical, organizational conditions for creating a new production) into the industry and the reaction of existing ones enterprises; 3) Consumers of products putting pressure on enterprises in the industry (consumers push the interests of competing enterprises against each other); 4) Suppliers of raw materials, materials, and components to the industry market (suppliers influence competition through price and quality); 5) Manufacturers of substitute goods (products that replace, to one degree or another, the goods being sold); 6) Manufacturers of products (means of adaptation to external circumstances, which include offensive and defensive actions).

The concept of competition intensity and indicators for its assessment. Factors influencing the intensity of competition.

The intensity of competition is the degree of opposition from competitors in the struggle for consumers and new market niches. Measuring the intensity of competition is based on assessing the actually controllable consequences of the relationships between factors of the competitive environment. Factors influencing intensity include: 1) The nature of the distribution of market shares between competitors. To assess this factor, an indicator is used that reflects the degree of concentration of production in the industry. It assesses the degree of market monopolization and is the inverse of the intensity of competition. The four-share concentration indicator represents the total share of the top four enterprises on the market that realize the maximum. volumes of products in the total volume of product sales on the market. Herfindahl index - distribution of market shares using the sum of squares of competitors' market shares. Rosenbluth index - calculation taking into account the serial number of the enterprise, obtained on the basis of ranking shares from max. to min. The coefficient of variation is the ratio of the standard deviation of the shares to their arithmetic mean value. 2) Market growth rate. The dynamics of markets for competitive goods is limited by 2 maximum values of annual growth rates of sales volumes: 70% and 140%. The indicator is calculated using the formula: Utr=1-((Tr-70)/(140-70))=(140-Tr)/70, where Tr is the annual growth rate of sales in the product market under consideration without taking into account the inflation component,%. 3) Market profitability. It is determined by the ratio of the total profit received by the enterprise in a given market to the total sales volume. Рр=П/Ор, where Рр-profitability ratio, P-total profit, Ор-sales volume. To assess the degree of dominance of an enterprise in the market, the Lorenz coefficient is used, which reflects the ability of the seller to influence the price of the product. The profitability ratio Рр acts as an indicator of profitability and shows the level of activity in the competitive environment of the enterprise.

Competitive analysis and stages of its implementation.

The stages of conducting a competitive analysis are as follows: Stage 1: Setting the goals of the analysis and creating an information base (selecting the goals of the analysis, choosing the geography of the market, choosing a group of competitors for analysis, creating an information base). Stage 2: Diagnosis of the goals and intentions of competitors (knowledge of the goals of a competitor allows you to: determine the degree of his satisfaction with the current position in the market, anticipate possible actions to change the existing balance of power. Forms of expressing the intentions of a competitor are: a statement about upcoming changes in the activities of the enterprise, informing about sovereign action and its results, public opinions on market development, explanation of one’s own actions, external manifestations of marketing policy, actions that contradict previous goals and traditions established in the market). Stage 3: Analysis of the market share of competitors, it includes: studying the techniques and methods of implementing competitors’ product policies (studying the position of consumers in relation to competitors’ products, analysis external signs, preceding the appearance of a new competitor product on the market, assessing the commercial characteristics of competing products, taking into account the features of the positioning of competing products, tracking the process of sales of competing products), studying the dynamics of competitors’ prices (the impact of demand elasticity on price dynamics, the impact of competitors’ pricing policies, the impact of consumer income on changes prices), analysis of the organization of the sales network of competitors and the means used to stimulate the organization. Stage 4: Assessing the financial stability of competitors (data is taken from the annual balance sheet of the enterprise, reports from tax authorities). Stage 5: Construction of a competitive market map (represents a classification of competitors according to their position in the market).

Competitiveness of an enterprise and its determining factors.

Conc. prev - this is the ability of an enterprise in noun. conditions for him to design, manufacture and sell goods that have price and non-price characteristics. more attractive to consumers than competitors' products. The factors determining the competitiveness of an enterprise include: external and internal. External: direct impact (market factors), indirect impact (organizational – technological (innovation), financial and economic (level of national income, inflation), foreign economic (stability), institutional (legislation)). Internal: positioning (image, reputation, market share), socio-psychological factors (corporate culture, self-criticism), financial management (liquidity, capital structure), organizational. – managerial (form of ownership), social. – economic (social incentives, high salary, motivation), production. – technical (level of adaptation of organization management systems). Market factors (high share of raw materials, market share, prestige).

“Competitive position is the position that an enterprise occupies in its industry in accordance with the results of its activities and its advantages and disadvantages compared to other enterprises.”

Relevance of the topic. Modern theory competition is not complete from the point of view of general economic theory. However, research from several scientific schools of competition has helped create general laws and concepts on the basis of which the main applied areas used in management were developed. Meanwhile, the developed mechanisms for assessing the interaction between the competitive and internal environment of an enterprise do not allow determining the effectiveness of decisions in terms of improving or strengthening the competitive position of the enterprise relative to other manufacturers. Methodological developments in this area are limited by the need to comprehensively examine the external environment of the enterprise, which is difficult in modern conditions due to increased intensity of competition in all product markets, including food markets. On the other hand, with the help of management decisions, enterprises form and change the competitive environment of the market, therefore, the use of a method that allows one to assess the competitive position of an enterprise in the market will allow one to choose the most effective directions for a survival strategy in dynamic economic conditions.

The purpose of the study is to develop a method for assessing the competitive position of an enterprise. The main tasks to be solved to achieve it are:

1. Studying the approaches of various researchers to defining the categories of competitive position, competitive advantages and competitiveness of an enterprise.
2. Analysis of existing methods for determining the competitive position of an enterprise and identifying limitations of their use.
3. Development of a method for assessing the competitive position of an enterprise.
4. Experimental testing of the recommended method for assessing competitive position.
5. Development of recommendations for applying the method for determining the competitive position of an enterprise in management practice.

Competitive strategy of the enterprise. Marketing as a system for ensuring the competitiveness of an enterprise. Strategies and marketing mix of an enterprise. Competitive strategy of the enterprise.

A competitive strategy is a set of rules and techniques that an enterprise must follow if its goal is to achieve and maintain competitiveness in the relevant industry. Consequently, the enterprise’s competitive strategy is focused on achieving competitive advantages that ensure the best and sustainable long-term financial position enterprises, as well as gaining a strong position in the market.

A diagram of the determining factors for the strategic success of an enterprise based on achieving competitive advantages taken into account when forming competitive strategies is presented below. Scheme of determining factors of enterprise competitiveness. A firm's strategic success depends on having a long-lasting and sustainable competitive advantage.

The duration of a competitive advantage is determined by the enterprise's ability to maintain and protect it from possible reproduction by competitors.

The sustainability of competitive advantage is determined by three factors: the source of the advantage; the number of sources of advantage for the enterprise and the ability of the enterprise to find new sources of competitive advantage. The competitive advantages of an enterprise can be classified according to the following criteria:

* according to the degree of their stability (with low, medium and high degrees of stability);
* competitive advantages with a low degree of sustainability. This type of competitive advantage is easily available to competitors. For example, the competitive advantage of cheap work force or raw materials, achieving economies of scale from the use of technologies, equipment or methods that are readily available to competitors;
* competitive advantage with an average degree of sustainability. This type includes competitive advantages that are maintained for a longer period of time. For example, differentiation based on unique products or services, company reputation, established product sales channels;
* competitive advantages with a high degree of sustainability. This type of competitive advantage requires a combination of large capital investments and high quality performance. This category includes new discoveries, new technologies and other possibilities of use or time to achieve (real and potential competitive advantages);
* real competitive advantages that determine the current competitive position of the enterprise in the industry;
* potential competitive advantages that serve as the basis for the future desired competitive position.
* areas of competition or scale of activity of the enterprise (local, national, global competitive advantages).
* local, which are achieved within the environment (region, locality) where the enterprise is based;
* national, which are determined by the advantages of the country where the enterprise is located;
* global, related to the entrepreneurial activity of an enterprise in the world market.

Two approaches to the formation of competitive strategy are market orientation and resource orientation.

Market orientation. Harvard School specialists (M. Porter and others).

A clear focus on sales markets and the choice of one of several types of universal strategies: leadership in cost reduction leadership in differentiation focusing on one of these areas, in relation to a certain group of buyers, a certain part of the product or in a certain geographic market (in a narrow market niche).

Below are three main approaches to ensuring the competitiveness of an enterprise. Approaches to ensuring the competitiveness of an enterprise. Goals and methods of ensuring strategies. Cost leadership strategy. Differentiation strategy. A strategy of focusing on a narrow market niche. Strategic goal. Gaining a large market share. Conquering a narrow market niche where the needs and preferences of buyers differ significantly from other market participants. The basis of competitive advantage. Ability to provide overall cost levels lower than competitors Ability to offer customers something different from competitors' products. Lower costs in meeting the needs of a given market niche, or the ability to offer customers in that niche something specifically tailored to their needs and tastes. Range of manufactured products. Good basic product with few modifications ( good quality at limited opportunity choice for buyers). Many varieties of goods, wide choice, emphasis on advertising several particularly important features. Product differentiation. The range is tailored to meet the special needs of the selected market segment. The basic principle of organizing production activities. Constant search for opportunities to reduce costs without losing the achieved level of quality and essential parameters of the product. Finding new ways to better satisfy customer needs. Individualization of goods in accordance with the special needs of buyers of a selected market niche. Principles of organizing marketing activities. Forming demand for a product in such a way that it is possible to continue to produce a product with those properties, 1. Endowing the product with all the properties that the buyer is willing to pay for

2. Charging buyers a premium price to cover. Emphasizing the unique features of the seller to satisfy the very specific needs of buyers, which provides conditions for maintaining low costs of additional costs for providing the product with additional properties.

Methods for maintaining strategy stability:

1. Maintaining balance (price / quality).
2. Maintaining superiority over competitors in terms of costs.
3. Strengthening the image of the enterprise by relying on the distinctive properties of the product.

According to proponents of market orientation, the strategic success of an enterprise is a function of two variables: the attractiveness of the industry in which enterprises compete, and the competitive position of the enterprise in this industry. Factors that determine the competitiveness of an enterprise within the framework of a market approach to the formation of a competitive strategy. An attractive competitive position results from having a competitive advantage in certain capabilities, including, for example, new product development and the choice of customer segments served, the geographic location of the enterprise, the degree of vertical integration of the enterprise, and the diversification of the enterprise, the targeting or selection of which is central to strategy. In turn, the choice of opportunity can influence industry structure. A convenient tool to compare the various strategic business zones in which business units operate, a special matrix developed by the Boston Consultative Group (BCG) is used.

Boston Advisory Group Matrix

In this matrix, to determine the development prospects of an organization, it is proposed to use a single indicator - growth in demand. It gives the vertical size of the matrix. The horizontal size is determined by the ratio of the market share owned by its main competitor. This ratio should determine the organization's comparative competitive position in the future. The BCG matrix offers the following classification of types of strategic business units in strategic business areas: “stars”, “cash cows”, “ wild cats” and “dogs” and suggests appropriate strategies for each.

The BCG matrix is a universal tool for analyzing the product portfolio. There are four groups of products, for each of which there is a priority strategy. Products with low growth rates and large market shares - "cash cows" - require little investment and yet generate a lot of profit. They are a source of funds for the development of the company. The optimal strategy in relation to them is “harvesting”. "Stars" have a high growth rate and bring a lot of profit. They are market leaders, but maintaining their position in the market requires investment. At the maturity stage, “stars” turn into “cash cows”. "Dogs" have a small market share and low growth rates. Their production costs are relatively high compared to their competitors. If these are not related products that are needed to maintain the assortment, then the optimal solution is to remove them from the assortment or stop investing in them. And finally, “problem children” (or, in other words, “wild cats”) - growth rates are high, but the market share is small. Increasing market share requires investment. If these are promising products, it makes sense to invest money in their development to transform them into “stars”. If you do not support “difficult children,” their growth will slow down and they will become “dogs.” The activities of an enterprise are schematically depicted in the form of a value chain and a value system. Value chain and value system Important when choosing and forming a competitive strategy within the framework of the market approach, they acquire incentives that represent structural determinants (Determinants of demand are factors other than price that influence demand. Determinants of demand include: - the level of personal disposable income of consumers; - inflationary or deflationary price expectations; - changes in prices for related goods; - socio-economic factors: market size, advertising, tastes and preferences, seasonality, changes in legislation, disasters, etc.) differences among competing enterprises in costs or preferences and behavior of a consumer or group of consumers . Incentives are at the heart of the sources of competitive advantage. Most of the relevant incentives include the scale of the operation, the accumulation of knowledge in the process of operation, the location of production facilities of the enterprise, the timing of investments in the process of operation, the degree of integration of the enterprise, government regulation, etc. Some group of incentives determines both relative costs and differentiation. The composition and significance of individual incentives varies depending on the activities of the enterprise and industry.

II resource orientation. Considered as an alternative to the market-oriented strategy development scheme. According to supporters of the resource approach (E. Rühli, R. Hall), in contrast to the market approach, which involves determining the need for resources depending on the position of the enterprise in the market, the resource approach is based on the assertion that the market position of the enterprise is based on its resource potential, that is, the basis for choosing a strategy is the resources of the enterprise and their management. The competitiveness of an enterprise in the long term depends on the correct choice of resources and the ability to combine resources better, more original and faster than its competitors. The resource approach to strategy formation is based on the fact that each company has a variety of resources acquired in the factor markets and “accumulated” in the process of its activities, as well as the ability to combine them with its capabilities (qualified personnel, technical means, etc.) and goals. An original and effective combination of resources in comparison with competitors in foreign economic literature has received the definition of key competencies of an enterprise (competencies - translated from English means competencies, skills, abilities). Key competence, in turn, is based on tangible and intangible competencies. The technical and technological capabilities of the enterprise (unique technology, highly specialized equipment, etc.) are considered as material competence, which serve as the basis for development key competencies in a strategic aspect. An example is Japanese companies (Honda, Canon, Sony, etc.), which had basic technologies in the field of precision mechanics and optics, microelectronics, internal combustion engines, miniaturization, etc., which provided them with key competencies in the manufacture of a number of high-tech products and components. While the effect of possessing tangible core competencies is obvious, intangible competencies, which include functional competencies and organizational culture, are difficult to perceive, since they do not have a tangible form in the usual sense and, therefore, their role and significance are not always clearly visible. in achieving enterprise success. A resource-based approach to justifying the choice of a competitive strategy should not be considered as an alternative to a market approach, since it cannot be separated from other structural components of competitive advantage, including scale of activity, specialization, optimal degree of integration, etc.

Thus, the resource concept of the enterprise must be present in all strategic developments, while the role and importance of intangible key competencies in achieving stable competitiveness of the enterprise should not be ignored. It is necessary to distinguish between a competitive market penetration strategy and a competitive market presence strategy. The market penetration strategy has a direct impact on the long-term presence of the product on the market and largely determines the choice and development by the management of the enterprise of a subsequent competitive strategy for market presence, and ultimately the competitiveness of the enterprise. According to foreign experts, due to the lack of proper attention to the formation of this strategy, in 80% of cases a new product fails in the market. Below is a model of market penetration strategy. General concept of developing a market penetration strategy. The general concept of forming a penetration strategy and long-term presence includes:

* decision of the enterprise management regarding entry into the market - about the time of entry; the amount of investment at entry and during the entry period and their distribution; sphere of competition.
* structural characteristics of the product or industry market;
* characteristics of the enterprise itself;
* mutual influence of all these elements on the long-term presence of the product on the market.

The main stages of forming a competitive strategy of an enterprise

Scheme for the formation of enterprise strategies. The concept of a functional strategy of an enterprise is associated with the functional services (departments) of the enterprise and is used to indicate the direction of activity of a particular functional service or department within the framework of the overall strategy of the enterprise.

In a market economy, enterprises mainly develop the following functional strategies: marketing strategy, financial strategy, quality strategy, innovation strategy (or R&D strategy), production strategy, social strategy, organizational change strategy, environmental strategy. The functional strategies of an enterprise are directly related to the implementation of its competitive strategy and have priority for its successful implementation.

3. The most famous and reliable of all advertising formulas is AIDA. Decipher and consistently describe all stages

There is no universal formula that gives a 100% guarantee. Since the behavior of the buyer and consumer is very often unpredictable. However, there are generally accepted truths that have passed the rigorous test of time and still bring results.

Universal and classic formula for composing advertising text AIDA.

The essence of the whole concept was that advertising text(appeal) to mandatory must attract the attention of the audience. Once you have managed to attract her attention, you need to maintain this interest. After which the potential buyer must want to become the owner of the advertised object. And the final stage is to tell the potential buyer what he should do.

The Lewis model, which works for different types of advertising, assumes four stages of consumer reaction: attention, interest, desire, action.

Today, when every consumer is bombarded with a ton of advertising information, the AIDA formula is much more relevant than before. The consumer is becoming more and more resistant to advertising influence and less open to receiving messages. Advertising should be such that it not only stands out, but also holds attention. The AIDA model is based on simple principles of human behavior, and this helps create advertising that actually works.

In the text, you can attract the attention of a potential client with a headline. The goal is to establish not only communication, but also to interest people in reading the message itself, until the very end. As a rule, in such cases a phrase containing intrigue is used. You probably remember how periodically you come across texts on the Internet that advertise some information products and have the following headings: “Find out how to earn $1000 a month on the Internet, starting today!”

This is Attention - attracting your attention. The intrigue is that many would be interested in learning about such a promising method.

In such cases, a technique that works well is for the author to put himself in the position of his potential reader, voicing all the possible difficulties that he is currently facing. Using our example, we can say that many people online earn small money (in the range of 0-200 dollars per month). At the same time, you often have to spend a very long time at the computer and do work that is not always to your liking. It is important to be very clear about the real needs of our customer and build only from them. And then we smoothly move the conversation in a direction where everyone understands that many people earn significantly more on the Internet. But how? And here our magical information product appears on the scene, which will reveal all the secrets of big earnings.

We have attracted the reader’s attention, got him interested, now we need to try to make him want to purchase our information product. But here you can “put pressure” on desires.

We must turn into the Lord of Desires in the text. To do this, let’s just imagine for a moment that the prospects for high earnings open up before us?

We will be able to afford those joys, hobbies and things that were previously unavailable to us. Are you looking to vacation in the Caribbean? How long has it been since you treated yourself to a luxury restaurant?

In addition to desires, you can be guided by other sensations, for example, safety and curiosity.

In fact, this point is very important. All the previous stages smoothly led the reader to making the most important thing - a purchase.

As we know from sales theory, people make purchases based on emotions. We have already created the emotion by sending the reader to a restaurant or to the Caribbean.

And now you need to delicately “push” the reader to take action. You may remember expressions in texts like this:

"Make your order right now..."

This is our Action.

AIDA: steps to success

Step 1: Grab Attention

Consumers don't like long stories and details - get down to business right away. Each element of an advertising message can attract attention: a headline, a catchy photo or an offer that you can’t refuse. Since there are hundreds of advertising messages around a person, such a step as attracting attention becomes decisive.

The following can effectively attract attention:

bright colors

attractive people

interesting and unusual photo

rhetorical questions

presentation of the advantages of a product or service.

Step 2: Arouse Interest

Give your target audience a reason why they should be interested in your offer. We need to find those “buttons” that the consumer wants to press. He must immediately understand what benefits he receives - low price, convenience, comfort. You can pre-test several of these “buttons” on a small group of the target audience and select the most effective ones.

You may be interested if:

show your unique selling proposition - why the consumer should choose you,

offer discounts to first customers,

inform about limited sale dates.

Step 3: Create Desire

Formation of desire is a central part of any advertising campaign. Turn a want into a need. Often to create desire advertising designers, who are well aware of consumer psychology, resort to working with the human ego: “With L'Oreal I will look younger,” etc. This is the essence of human nature, and it is unlikely to change.

If you create a desire and convince the consumer that it is valid and fair, you will succeed.

Step 4: Inspire Action

After advertising has captured the consumer’s attention, captured his interest and desire, it’s time to call the buyer to action. To do this, you can create an effect of urgency when the advertisement tells you that you need to make an important decision as soon as possible, otherwise the person will miss out on the benefits.

Effective calls to action:

call us today (and you'll get something for free),

hurry up before it's over

why wait, start today.

Our designers have serious experience in developing a wide variety of advertising messages, each of which must take into account the psychological characteristics of the perception of information. Creating different kinds advertising printing - brochures, covers, flags, magazines, newspapers, leaflets - we focus on proven advertising formulas and laws, and also use our own developments.

Goncharov Anton Alexandrovich Postgraduate student of the Department of Marketing and Trade Business, Orlovsky state institute economy and trade

As of today various levels state power and in many business circles, discussions are taking place regarding ways to effectively develop the domestic Agriculture. And increasing the competitiveness of agricultural production is most often cited as one of the ways to solve this problem. From our point of view, this approach is quite understandable and justified. Indeed, it is competitiveness, as a comprehensive characteristic, that best shows the economic power of an enterprise and its level of success in the market. We believe that modern competitive strategies can and should be the key to achieving this goal. At first glance, this issue does not pose any problem for practical application. Indeed, today there is a significant amount of scientific literature that is devoted to issues of competitiveness, including the development of competitive strategies. However, it is worth noting that the vast majority of them are aimed at industrial production or trade. Agriculture, due to its specificity due to various reasons, requires an adapted approach to the development of competitive strategies. In light of this, we consider it relevant to consider the issues of developing competitive strategies at agricultural enterprises.

What practical benefits should competitive strategies bring to an agricultural enterprise? In our opinion, they should help solve two interrelated problems. Firstly, the implementation of the competitive advantages currently available to the enterprise, as well as the creation of conditions for the formation of additional competitive advantages. Secondly, increasing the rate of economic growth of the enterprise and leveling out the negative influence of factors in the external marketing environment, which is especially important at the present time, when all agricultural producers are experiencing the negative consequences of the completed global financial and economic crisis and the current recession. The implementation of these two tasks reveals the main meaning of competitive strategy (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. The Essential Importance of Competitive Strategy

In addition, an effective competitive strategy, from our point of view, must meet three basic requirements:

Despite the fact that it is focused on a relatively long period of time (usually 5-7 years), the competitive strategy must be flexible so that the enterprise has the opportunity to make certain adjustments to it depending on certain changes in the market.
A competitive strategy, by its economic essence, is aimed at achieving certain results, but at the same time should not be overly aggressive, since in such a case this can lead to unpredictable response actions of economically stronger enterprises in the market.
An enterprise can count on receiving the maximum positive effect from implementing strategies only if it uses at least two competitive strategies.

Taking into account these simple conditions will allow the enterprise to competently formulate a competitive strategy that will correspond to its economic capabilities and set strategic goals.

For a practical study of the process of formation of competitive strategies in agriculture, we propose to consider the field of agricultural crop production. The expediency of this choice can be argued as follows. Crop production is the cornerstone of agriculture, serving two key purposes. Firstly, it provides the population with essential products. And secondly, crop production provides fodder for another area of agriculture - livestock farming. Thus, the level of development of the crop production sector most directly affects the nature of the development of the livestock sector. Without a strong crop industry, there can be no strong livestock industry. And of paramount importance in this case grain production plays a role. Focusing on the grain market, we will consider the process of forming competitive strategies in agriculture in more detail. Unfortunately, today there is a noticeable difference between theoretical foundations formation of competitive strategies and their implementation in practical conditions. In order to overcome the current situation, we propose that agricultural enterprises use the following algorithm for developing competitive strategies (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Algorithm for developing a competitive strategy for an agricultural enterprise

At the first stage, an agricultural enterprise should determine the nature of its competitive behavior. This can be either offensive behavior or defensive competitive behavior. The marketing mission of the enterprise has a significant influence on this choice. Primary Marketing Mission domestic producers grain production is to provide the country's population with essential foodstuffs and maintain a high level of food security, which is becoming more and more urgent. In this case, making a profit is implied by default, since we believe that only the presence large number cost-effective grain producers can ensure the fulfillment of such a marketing mission. The value of food security is defined as the ratio of the volume of grain production per year to the population size. In other words, 1 person should have 1 ton of grain per year. We can confidently talk about a high level of food security if this ratio exceeds one. Unfortunately, our figure is significantly lower than one: 0.58 t/person. in 2007, 0.77 t/person. in 2008 and 0.69 t/person. in 2009. Everything indicates a relatively low level of food security in our country. If we consider this indicator by region, we get the following picture. The top ten regions with the highest level of food security include the following regions: Oryol region. - 2.93 t/person; Kursk region - 2.65; Stavropol Territory - 2.57; Tambov region - 2.40; Lipetsk region - 2.35; Altai Territory - 2.26; Omsk region - 1.99; Krasnodar region- 1.85; Kurgan region - 1.76; Belgorod region and the Republic of Mordovia - 1.57 t/person each.

In the current conditions, and also taking into account the most powerful agricultural potential of our country in the world and the ever-increasing demand for food, from our point of view, it would be most appropriate for grain producers to use offensive competitive behavior.

At the second stage, the company needs to conduct research on the external and internal marketing environment. And, from our point of view, in modern conditions the study of environmental factors is of greatest importance. We believe that any superiority of an enterprise, be it technological or economic, will not be able to ensure a competitive position of the enterprise in the market conditions unfavorable factors external environment. In this regard, we propose to consider the main indicators of the economic activity of agricultural producers (table).

Table. Main indicators of economic indicators of agricultural enterprises

The data presented in the table clearly demonstrates a rather unfavorable situation in Russian agriculture, which was aggravated by the consequences of the dry summer of 2010. The consequence of this was a significant decrease in yield and gross grain harvest. At the same time, the production index reached its minimum in several years, amounting to 88.1%. But, besides natural factors, there is another reason. In our opinion, it consists in the continued weak support of the agricultural industry from the state.

As a result, by annually purchasing several million dollars worth of imported food, our state indirectly subsidizes foreign farmers. And the volume of food purchases in some years exceeds the volume of government subsidies to domestic agricultural producers. In this case, objections may arise that this state of affairs corresponds to the norms of a market economy; Russian manufacturers must operate in a competitive environment. But it should be noted that in countries with highly developed market economies, for example, in the USA, Germany, France, there is a powerful governmental support its agricultural industry. And this is not at all against the law. free market, but ensures high competitiveness of their agricultural producers. As a result, Russian agricultural enterprises face fierce competition from foreign manufacturers, high level whose competitiveness is determined not only by advantages in technology and production organization (which is largely compensated by the higher price of the resources they use), but also by large-scale government financial and political support, as well as reliance on a developed market infrastructure.

Another important negative factor in the marketing environment of agricultural production is the increasing desire to switch to the intensive nature of production. We consider this approach not entirely justified. In our country today there are huge areas of abandoned and uncultivated agricultural land, despite certain positive dynamics in the agricultural sector in recent years. Lately. Labor costs are still relatively low. In such conditions, the development of agricultural production should have a steady upward trend due to both its intensification and extensive expansion of the resources used.

The third stage is the determination of the internal and external competitive advantages of the agricultural enterprise. During the Soviet period, agriculture had three main competitive advantages over Western countries: cheap energy and material resources, free land use, and large-scale agricultural enterprises. Today, of these competitive advantages, only cheap energy and material resources have been preserved. But these external competitive advantages for grain producers regularly become more expensive, further reducing the competitiveness of Russian agricultural producers. In addition, there is another problem that significantly reduces the competitive advantages of agricultural producers. IN Russian conditions The bulk of agricultural producers do not compete with each other and are not monopolists, but operate in a monopolizing environment of processors and trade. The result of this is price disparity in the industry.

Considering the internal competitive advantages in the grain market, we can note the gradual transition of agricultural enterprises to energy-saving and resource-saving production technologies, which helps reduce costs and, accordingly, ensures production additional income. Another serious internal competitive advantage is the stable demand for products from the population.

At the fourth stage of forming a competitive strategy, the enterprise should proceed directly to choosing the most appropriate competitive strategy for it, which would most fully meet its marketing mission and competitive advantages. Based on the material discussed above, we can assume that for Russian grain producers, the most appropriate would be to use a set of competitive strategies, which include the implementation of a cost leadership competitive strategy and an overwhelming competitive strategy. The relevance of grain producers using a competitive cost leadership strategy lies in the fact that its use will allow the enterprise to achieve, due to the large volume of production, a significant reduction in production costs. This should have a very positive impact on the price of the final product, which is especially important in conditions of not very high effective demand of the population. Naturally, for the successful implementation of this competitive strategy, the enterprise should fulfill several basic requirements, among which we can name:

achieving economies of scale in production (and one of the ways to achieve it is precisely to use an extensive approach to production, in particular, by increasing the area of cultivated agricultural land);
increasing the level of specialization, including by attracting highly qualified specialists throughout the production chain;
achieving technological superiority, which can be achieved through the introduction of modern production technologies that help reduce energy, materials and labor costs per unit of production.

At the same time, when implementing a competitive cost leadership strategy, an enterprise must take into account some risks. In particular, an unpredictable change in the price level for raw materials and supplies may occur, or the company's main competitors may significantly change their methods of reducing their own costs.

The second competitive strategy we propose for grain producers is an overwhelming competitive strategy. As the name of this competitive strategy suggests, its implementation requires active market actions on the part of the enterprise. In particular, a competitive suppressive strategy involves producing large volumes of products, which will help reduce costs. As a result, this will allow the company to actively compete on prices.

The fifth stage in our proposed algorithm for the formation of competitive strategies is the implementation of a competitive strategy. We believe that at this stage the agricultural enterprise needs to take into account the following:

At this stage, it is important to ensure that the developed competitive strategy is understandable to every employee of the agricultural enterprise directly or indirectly involved in the implementation of such a competitive strategy. If there is even the slightest misunderstanding, for example, due to the high complexity of the competitive strategy, the implementation of this strategy at the enterprise will be ineffective. Moreover, we believe that throughout the process of implementing a competitive strategy, stable feedback should be established. A manager at an agricultural enterprise responsible for implementing a competitive strategy must be able to timely make changes to individual components of the competitive strategy depending on market conditions.

One of the main problems of this stage, in our opinion, is the need for effective implementation of the developed competitive strategy, which involves the following basic steps:

introduction (formulation of the goals and nature of the competitive strategy and action plan for its development and implementation);
characteristics of the current market situation (socio-economic description of the market and buyers of a particular market in which the agricultural enterprise operates or the entire country as a whole);
characteristics of competition (analysis of the intensity of competition, main competitors and one’s own competitive position);
analysis of the previous period with disclosure of the reasons for overfulfillment or failure to fulfill the assigned tasks;
setting goals for competitive strategy and its characteristics;
a plan for implementing the developed competitive strategy, indicating quantitative indicators of the projected activities of the agricultural enterprise and a set of actions to achieve these indicators;
development of a budget for the forecast period of time. The use of this algorithm for the formation of competitive strategies will allow domestic agricultural enterprises to achieve an increase in their level of competitiveness in relation to both domestic enterprises and foreign competitors.

Russia in numbers. 2011: Krat. stat. Sat. / Rosstat. - M., 2011. - P. 265. 36

Ksenofontov M.Yu., Poskachey M.A., Sapova N.N., Kozin D.E. Scenario forecasting as a tool for developing an agricultural development strategy // Problems of forecasting. 2008. No. 5. - P. 4.

Buzdov Z.Z. Scenario approach to assessing the prospects for the development of the regional agro-industrial complex // Bulletin of Stavropol state university. 2006. No. 44. - P. 14.

Without plowing G.V. Problems of agricultural development and the mechanism for their resolution // Agrarian Bulletin of the Urals. 2008. No. 7 (49). - P. 5.

Ushachev I.G. The economic growth and competitiveness of Russian agriculture // Agrarian Bulletin of the Urals. 2009. No. 3 (57). - P. 4.

Goncharov A.A. Modern trends in the development of competitive strategies // Science and Economics. 2011. No. 2 (6). - P. 34.

The goal of a competitive strategy is to find and take a position in an industry where the company will be best protected from the influence of competitive forces, or can, for its part, influence them. The pressure of cumulative power may be felt by all competing parties, but in order to cope with it, strategy must be based on a careful analysis of the origin of each component. Thus, based on all of the above, the stages of forming a competitive strategy can be depicted schematically, as in Figure 1.

Figure 1.1 – Stages of forming a competitive strategy

The first stage is Analysis of market conditions. The market as a complex socio-economic category can be characterized by numerous indicators depending on the purpose of the study. Market analysis allows you to:

Determine the parameters of the market, identify the position of the enterprise in it.

Identify competitors in the industry and assess the level of competition.

Study the need and demand of consumers for a product (service).

Study the product, its place in the market and the degree to which it satisfies customer needs.

Forecast (model) product prospects.

Determine areas of activity to meet the changing needs of customers.

Market analysis is the basis for developing tactics and strategy of an enterprise (both in the present and in the future), forecasting market conditions and the state of competition - the most important elements of analysis.

The market forecast presents possible options for changes in the structure and volume of consumption, which are compared with estimates of the development of product production, which makes it possible to obtain forecasts of sales volume, demand, supply and the relationship between them.

When compiling a market forecast as part of an overall marketing forecast, information from a variety of analytical marketing studies (environment, consumer, product, enterprise) is used.

The second stage is Analysis of the competitive environment of the enterprise. The competitive environment of an enterprise is a set of external factors that influence certain interactions between enterprises in the relevant sector of the economy. At the same time, an important fact is that the competitive environment is formed not only and not so much by the market subjects themselves, whose interaction determines rivalry, but, first of all, by the relations between them.

To better illuminate this stage, we will use M. Porter’s “Five Forces of Competition” model, since its components are the main factors of the competitive environment of any enterprise operating in a market economy.

In accordance with M. Porter’s model, the state and intensity of competition in a particular market is determined by the influence of the following competitive forces:

1. Rivalry between competing sellers in the same industry (each enterprise follows its own competitive strategy to gain a better position);

2. Competition from goods produced by enterprises in other industries and which are worthy substitutes (substitutes), as well as competitive in price (competitive forces arising as a result);

3. The threat of new competitors entering the industry (competitive forces arising as a result);

4. Economic opportunities and trading abilities of suppliers (competitive forces arising as a result);

5. Economic opportunities and purchasing abilities of buyers (competitive forces arising as a result of them).

The significance and strength of the competitive influence of each competitive factor varies depending on the type of market and determines the price level, the amount of expenses, the amount of capital investment in production, product sales and business profitability. At the same time, the central place, with all the diversity of research objects, is occupied by market objects - the product market as a whole, its individual components and parameters (buyers, competitors, suppliers, intermediaries, price, capacity, development dynamics, its structure, geographical location and others).

The third stage is an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise. An assessment of the company's strengths and weaknesses and its external opportunities and threats is also called SWOT- analysis(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats - respectively strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). The general principle is: When developing a strategy, it is necessary to ensure compliance with the company’s internal capabilities (i.e. the balance of its weaknesses and strengths) external situation(i.e., industry and competitive conditions, the company's market opportunities, specific external threats to the company's profitability and market share). The strategy should be aimed at making the most efficient use of the company's resources, taking advantage of market opportunities and avoiding threats.

The fourth stage is the analysis of the competitive advantages of the enterprise, which involves the search for the competitive advantages of the company, which can be the basis of a competitive strategy. Competitive advantage can be achieved in any of three main areas:

1. Providing more benefits, selling cheaper goods;

2. Justification of high prices by providing increased or original quality and service;

3. Satisfying the specific needs of a narrow group of consumers.

The fifth stage is the choice of a competitive strategy. Having carried out the analysis collected at the previous stages, enterprise managers select a basic competitive strategy. There are three main basic competitive strategies:

1. Absolute cost leadership.

2. Differentiation.

3. Focusing.

In some, albeit rare, cases, a bank may be able to successfully implement more than one approach. Effective implementation of any of these basic strategy options typically requires a global effort and appropriate, focused organizational action.

The sixth stage is the development of competitive alternatives and calculation of their effectiveness. The basic logic of the formation of strategic alternatives is quite transparent: there are several ways to construct them and, by combining them, you can get a fairly high-quality and complete result. This method allows you to reduce the impact of the weaknesses of various approaches and make the most of existing strengths. In addition, in practice it happens that one of the methods is simply not suitable for a particular company due to the specific characteristics of its business. The combination of various methods for constructing strategic alternatives allows us to avoid this problem.

A firm's competitive advantage is reflected in its ability to serve the needs of its target markets better than its competitors. The sources of competitive advantage are manifold: ensuring the production of high quality products; achieving a minimum level of costs compared to competitors; favorable geographical location; providing customers with a wide range of additional services, etc. All these advantages come down to convincing the buyer that he will receive greater benefits from consuming the company's products and services compared to similar products of competitors. The choice of a particular competitive strategy by a company largely depends on the achievement of what kind of competitive advantage the company can secure for itself and maintain for a long time during the competition.