The ability of a company to outperform its competitors Show
What is Competitive Advantage?Competitive advantage refers to the ways that a company can produce goods or deliver services better than its competitors. It allows a company to achieve superior margins and generate value for the company and its shareholders. A competitive advantage is something that cannot be easily replicated and is exclusive to a company or business. This value is created internally and is what sets the business apart from its competition. Key Highlights
Examples of Competitive AdvantageCompetitive advantages come in many shapes and sizes. They include, but are not limited to, some of the following:
Components of Competitive AdvantageFor a competitive advantage to be established, it is important to know the following:
To build a competitive advantage, a company must be able to identify its value proposition that will be sought after by the target market, which cannot be replicated by competitors. Building a Competitive AdvantageMichael Porter, the famous Harvard Business School professor, identified three strategies for establishing a competitive advantage: Cost Leadership, Differentiation, and Focus (which includes both Cost Focus and Differentiation Focus)[1]. 1. Cost LeadershipThe goal of a cost leadership strategy is to become the lowest cost manufacturer or provider of a good or service. This is achieved by producing goods that are of standard quality for consumers, at a price that is lower and more competitive than other comparable product(s). Firms employing this strategy will combine low profit margins per unit with large sales volumes to maximize profit. Companies will seek the best alternatives in manufacturing a good or offering a service and advertise this value proposition to make it impossible for competitors to replicate. 2. DifferentiationA differentiation strategy is one that involves developing unique goods or services that are significantly different from competitors. Companies that employ this strategy must consistently invest in R&D to maintain or improve the key product or service features. By offering a unique product with a totally unique value proposition, businesses can often convince consumers to pay a higher price which results in higher margins. 3. FocusA focus strategy uses an approach to identifying the needs of a niche market and then developing products to align to the specific need area. The focus strategy has two variants:
Competitive Advantage in the MarketplaceThree notable examples are:
Importance of Competitive AdvantageA competitive advantage is what sets a business apart from its competitors. It is essential in order for a business to succeed, whether it’s by ensuring higher margins, attracting more customers, or achieving greater brand loyalty among existing customers. Higher margins, a better growth profile, and lower customer churn tend to also be very popular among both investors and creditors – making capital more readily available (and cheaper) for firms that are able to maintain a strong competitive advantage among their peers. Video Explanation of Competitive AdvantageWatch this short video to quickly understand the main concepts covered in this guide, including the definition of competitive advantage and how companies create it using various business strategies. Other ResourcesThank you for reading CFI’s guide to Competitive Advantage. To keep learning and advancing your career, the following resources will be helpful:
What is difficult for competitors to imitate?An inimitable (the opposite of imitable) resource is difficult to imitate or to create ready substitutes for. A resource is inimitable and non-substitutable if it is difficult for another firm to acquire it or to substitute something else in its place.
What makes a company hard to imitate?Certain resources can be and are protected by various legal means, including trademarks, patents, and copyrights, which ensures they are difficult for the competition to imitate. Other resources are hard to copy because they evolve over time and reflect unique aspects of the firm.
What is the greatest barrier to imitation?Patents typically provide the greatest barrier to imitation. Absorptive capacity refers to the ability of an enterprise to identify, value, assimilate, and use new knowledge. Quality as excellence and quality as reliability are concepts that applied to goods but not services.
What are the barriers of imitation?Others have argued that economies of scale, switching costs, first mover advantage, and so forth, constitute barriers to imitation.
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