The analysis of competitors has four main contents, namely, competitors' future goals, assumptions, current strategies and potential capabilities.
The analysis and understanding of competitors' future goals is conducive to predicting their satisfaction with the current market position and financial situation, thus inferring the possibility of changing their current strategies and their sensitivity to the strategic behavior of other enterprises.
The hypothetical analysis of competitors aims to reveal competitors' evaluation and views on themselves, their industry and other enterprises in the industry, which is the most fundamental motivation for enterprises' various strategic behavior orientations.
The analysis of competitors' current strategies aims to reveal what competitors are doing and what they can do. Through the analysis of competitors' current strategies, it can help enterprises to understand how competitors compete at present and the strength of competitors' strategic adjustment if the competitive structure changes in the future.
The analysis of competitors' capabilities aims to reveal their strengths and weaknesses, and their strengths and weaknesses will determine their ability to launch strategic counterattacks and respond to environmental or industry events.
Competitors are in four aspects:
1, the objectives and strategies of competitors in each period.
2. Analysis of operating status and financial status
3. Analysis of technical and economic strength
4. Background analysis of leaders and managers
1, the long-term goal of competitors. The analysis of competitors' long-term goals can predict whether competitors are satisfied with their own status, so as to judge how competitors will change their strategies and react to external events. The strategic goal of Japanese motorcycle enterprises in the 1970s and 1980s was obvious, that is, to fully occupy the largest and best market in the world. Therefore, like Honda, when it encounters tariff barriers, it can bypass the restrictions of American tariff barriers by directly building factories in the United States.
2. Strategic assumptions of competitors. The strategic goals established by each enterprise are based on their assumptions. These assumptions can be divided into three categories:
First, the theoretical assumptions that competitors believe in. For example, the theory pursued by many American companies is short-term profit, because only profit can support development. Japanese companies believe in market share and economies of scale. They believe that as long as they can occupy the market, expand the scale of production and sales, reduce the unit cost and naturally roll in profits, there will be a bumper harvest in autumn.
Second, competitors' assumptions about their own enterprises. Some enterprises think they are superior in function and quality, while others think they are superior in cost and price. Brand-name products enterprises may be dismissive of the penetration of low-grade products, while enterprises that win by price will attack the price reduction of other enterprises head-on.
Third, competitors' assumptions about the industry and other enterprises in the industry. In the 1960s, Harley was not only full of confidence in the motorcycle industry, but also too contemptuous of Japanese companies, thinking that they were only in the primary learning stage and posed no threat to themselves. However, the Japanese bowed their heads and said, "We are primary school students." On the one hand, I deeply feel that Americans underestimate themselves: see who laughs last. After 20 years of training, Japanese motorcycles have finally achieved positive results in the United States.
3. The strategic approaches and methods of competitors. Strategic approaches and methods are specific and multifaceted, and should be analyzed from all aspects of the enterprise. From the marketing strategy, Honda's marketing strategy ways and methods at least include the following contents: in product strategy, use small cars to cut into the American market, provide as many small car models as possible, and improve the attractiveness of products; After gaining a foothold in the small car market, it will penetrate into the large car market; In terms of price, through scale advantage and management improvement, the product cost is reduced and the product is sold at a low price; In the promotion, establish a new image of motorcycle to distinguish it from Harley's rough style. Facts have proved that these strategic measures are effective and successful. Relatively speaking, Harley has no clear strategic approach and method. Although Harley's parent company AMF also injected capital into Harley to increase production, it also produced small cars. The result ended in failure because of uncoordinated factors.
4, the strategic ability of competitors. Goals and methods should be based on ability. After analyzing and studying competitors' goals and approaches, it is necessary to further study whether competitors have the ability to achieve their goals by other means. This involves how enterprises plan their own strategies to cope with competition. If this enterprise has a comprehensive competitive advantage compared with its competitors, then there is no need to worry about when and where the conflict will occur. If competitors have comprehensive competitive advantages, then there are only two ways: either not offending competitors, being willing to follow them, or avoiding them. If you don't have comprehensive competitive advantages, but you have distinctive advantages in some aspects and fields, you can do your article well in the fields or fields where you have distinctive advantages, but you should avoid touching others' advantages with your own disadvantages.