Times have changed and really kept changing. Nobody, or even companies, can stop the change. Like flowing water, it will continue pumping indefinitely. Clear direction, towards which it must tread.
Similarly in the
marketing world. Suppose the market is the ocean, the water seemed endless sprawling. That's where the fish compete for food. That's where the marketers vying to conquer the consumer. And, now the competition is getting tight, dense, and fierce. Therefore, marketers are willing to do anything to just grab a piece of the market. One of them is become a brand follower.
Brand follower can be defined as a follower or brand imitation. So, should be remembered by the brand pioneer, the existence of brand followers can not be ignored. We borrow the opinion of Steven P Schnaars briefly in the book Managing Imitations Strategies that states, "But many who are now first will be last and many for a last will be first. Now that is sage advice for later entrant… ". Which means, many of which the first become the last and the last become the first.
As marketers, we can understand that there are many opportunities for a brand follower become the market leader and a market leader position ratcheted by follower. Because, usually brand follower also has many advantages that can threaten the pioneers.
Nevertheless, the brand pioneer remains the best chance of becoming market leaders. Some of the pioneers advantages among other: has a high consumer loyalty, generally very solid position in the market, usually support by great technology, and has more funds for research and development.
Pioneer also have first access to intermediaries (distributors) and their experience effects are also well above the late market entrants. Lastly, they've created a very high barrier for competitors who want to enter the market. So, it's really a lot of advantage which has been gripped by the pioneers, and it has to be managed without stopping.
The Follower Chance
According to the brand pioneer advantages, is the opportunities for later entrants (follower) to win the competition closed? The answer is no! Just like Schnaars said, the first might become the last and the last might become the first. The reason, the followers also offers many advantages. First, they can avoid products that are not potential. Second, if the product had a risk, the risk is borne by the pioneers. Third, the cost of R & D is smaller because the follower comes to the formed market. Fourth, they have a chance to gain market share from market leader when the market is weak. Fifth, the cost to educate consumers is very low because previous educational process has been conducted by market leaders. Thus, it can be concluded that the brand follower actually also carries many advantages.
Then, what strategy used by follower to attack the market leader? Generally there are three strategies namely: clone, Imitator, and Adapter. Clone means to follow the product, distribution, and advertising exactly same as pioneers. They live like a parasite from market leader investment .
Imitator mimics some of the pioneers and tried to distinguish the packaging, advertising, and pricing. Adapters, they follow the pioneers and adapt and improve the pioneer's weakness. Characteristic is they always see what the market leader weaknesses, then try to fix it. For example, Google+ following Facebook..
In addition, their usual strategy is offer lower prices. They play in the value marketing.
Second strategy, they also have the opportunity to improve their products through more advanced technology. Third, which is mostly done by the follower quite successful, is using market power. The implication is that the advertising and distribution became a major force in facing market leader. Because the market are already exists and large, those strategies are effectively proven to gain market share by the brand follower.
Actually there are many
marketing strategies and tactics that can be prepared by brand follower in an attempt to overtake the pioneer brand. Simply, a weapon that qualified for the follower is: value leadership, real superior product, and full superior marketing effort.
The current global financial recession also trigger a change and intense competition. Therefore, draw up the right and smart strategy, so that victory is in the hands of your brand. If you are follower, then be a successful follower brands. Remember, it is not impossible that the last would become the first?