Competitive Strategies for Followers and Nichers

Many runner-up companies do not challenge the market leader. But market followers have to know how to hold on current customers and win a fair share of customers in the growing market. The follower firms have a certain advantages for its target market in terms of location, services offered or financing offered.

Kotler described four follower strategies.

Counterfeiter

Cloner

Imitator

Adapter

Nichers

Nicher are small firms that target small markets of little or no interest to larger firms

The niche specializations include:

End user segments
Vertical segments
Customer size segments
Specific customer servicing
Geographic segments
Specific products
Specific product features
Job shop production
Quality segment
Price segment
High service segment
Channel segment