Marketing Strategies in Competitive Markets and Challenging Times

The challenging times and competition pose a serious threat to the survival of enterprises. The main objective of this chapter is to discuss the marketing strategies that help enterprises to continue their financial health in challenging times such as during the period of recessions or in rapidly changing competitive markets. A framework of strategies, which may enable enterprises to sustain and thrive their profitability in challenging and competitive markets, is proposed based upon the strategies on which the literature has reached a broad consensus. The proposed marketing strategies for challenging and competitive markets include creating customer value, differentiation and innovation, finding alternative ways to price cut, emphasizing brand value, maintaining marketing and advertising, focusing on targeted marketing communication, reviewing and measuring marketing budget effectiveness, understanding marketplace, developing strategies based upon customer insight, becoming customer-centered, focusing on customer retention and loyalty, and re-evaluating and prioritizing customer segments.