Business Warfare Red Studies - The Code to Corporate Success and Failure

Author: Hai Kuo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Find one's core strength in the Grand View Garden, Lin Daiyu is an outstanding girl, but she is not a perfect person. Compared to her in appearance, she is not as plump and sensual as Baochai; in terms of genuineness and freedom, she is not as boyish as Xiyun with a boyish personality; in terms of nobility and elegance, she is not as refined as Miaoyu from a marquis family. Even Lin Daiyu's pride in her poetic talent did not surpass Baochai; in the three poetry competitions described in the novel, Baochai won twice. Baochai's poetry is grand and uplifting, writing lines like "Crimson rouge washes out the shadow of the autumn steps, snow and ice draw the soul to the dewy pavements" and "Good wind often lends its strength, sending me to the blue clouds!" Therefore, Li Yun said, "If one argues about elegance and uniqueness, this is undoubtedly Lin Daiyu's poem. But if one argues about subtlety and depth, it is ultimately Baochai's work." If Lin Daiyu were to compete with others in the aspects mentioned above, it would be of little. Her core competitiveness actually lies in two points: First, daring to oppose feudal rituals, not valuing men's "official career and economic pursuits," and boldly pursuing her own love. Second, respecting others and herself, living for her own "heart." This is Lin Daiyu's unique core strength, which is why in Baoyu's heart, she is a "divine sister," one that others can never reach. Baoyu praised Lin Daiyu in front of others: "Has Lin Niangniang ever said such nonsense before? If she had, I would have been estranged from her long ago." When companies implement differentiation strategies, they should also strive to build their own core value, just like Lin Daiyu. Nowadays, with the maturation of consumer concepts, when purchasing service products, people not only have material needs but also increasingly demand spiritual fulfillment. With hundreds of similar products available, if a company cannot capture the core value of its product, consumers will find it hard to generate purchasing desire, and even if they buy, it will not be sustainable. For example, when people buy airline products, safety is the most basic requirement for passengers, which is also the core competitiveness. If other companies fail to meet this, the choice in differentiation strategies is this very point. Once all companies achieve this, they should focus on price, service, and convenience, striving to be better than others in quality, cheaper than others in price, and more innovative than others in affordability. Only such differentiation can be sustainable and have lasting momentum. For instance, when "7 Up" was launched, "Coca-Cola" and "Pepsi" not only dominated the vast majority of the market but also shaped consumer perceptions, making soft drinks synonymous with cola. To carve out its own niche, "7 Up" adopted a differentiation strategy of "Not Cola," distinguishing itself from the two cola giants and focusing on its own growth in the non-cola market. Using large-scale advertising and public relations campaigns to promote the slogan, "7 Up is not cola," it successfully attracted its own consumer base. Today, it ranks third in soft drink sales, second only to the two cola giants. P7-P8