Four Models of Competition and their Implications for Marketing Strategy

Conclusions
 
This paper has focused on four models or views of 
competition—economic, biological, globalization, and 
social-psychological. Each model helped understand 
competition as a complex social and individual 
phenomenon and led to nine strategic implications for 
marketing managers.
 
A review of the paper produces these conclusions:
 
• All models are needed for a rich view of competi 
tion. No one model is complete. No one model is 
superior. 
• Other models than the four described here exist; 
they may be as helpful in understanding competi 
tion and in producing strategic insights as those 
discussed. For example, elements of competition 
can be found between siblings, theories, religions, 
ideologies, governments, and universities. 
• Knowledge of competitors—as economic units, 
biological organisms, global entities, or individuals 
on a team—is a requisite for good strategy. In turn, 
good strategy is a requisite for sustainable competi 
tive advantage. The linkage between knowledge 
and strategy is more an art than a science, relying 
much more on creativity and intuition than on 
mechanical processes. 
• Some generalities about competition and strategy 
emerge from the four models. Competition in a 
market can range from nil to intense, will be highest 
between like competitors, and can injure or destroy 
competitors. Strategies must reflect a competitor's 
environment, should target niches to avoid, com 
petition, will face great difficulty producing long- 
term competitive advantage. 
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