Sustainable competitive advantage.

Identify a potential game-changing move that you believe will create a sustainable competitive advantage. This move should derive from one of the seven common moves first introduced in last week's lecture notes.
This potential move should represent a possible new move the company should consider for creating even more competitive differentiation. In other words, it should not be a specific move that the company has or is currently implementing.
Briefly summarize how the move will fundamentally shift the playing field to the company’s advantage and beat the competition.
Explain which of the four positioning categories described by Sherman (Breakaway, Reverse Positioning, Blue Ocean or Disruptive Innovation) best describes the move, and why.

Full Answer Section

       
  1. Specialized Ingredient Sourcing: FreshPlate would need to partner with specialized suppliers to source ingredients that meet the specific dietary needs of their target niche markets. This could involve organic farms, gluten-free bakeries, or suppliers of specific protein alternatives.

  2. Expert Nutritional Guidance: Offer access to registered dietitians or nutritionists for personalized consultations and support. This adds value and builds trust.

How This Shifts the Playing Field:

This move allows FreshPlate to differentiate itself from competitors who offer more generic meal kits. By focusing on specific dietary needs and health goals, they capture a loyal customer base willing to pay a premium for truly personalized nutrition. It moves beyond convenience to become a partner in their customers' health journey. Competitors would find it difficult to quickly replicate this hyper-personalization, as it requires sophisticated AI, specialized sourcing, and expert nutritional support.

Sherman's Positioning Category: Reverse Positioning.

Why: Reverse positioning disrupts the conventional wisdom of the meal kit market, which tends to focus on broad appeal and convenience. FreshPlate is adding features (hyper-personalization, nutritional guidance) that competitors might deem too niche or complex, while potentially simplifying other aspects (customers don't have to spend time planning meals or worrying about nutritional accuracy). It's "reversing" the typical approach by catering to a specific, underserved segment with a tailored offering that combines elements of both high-end and low-end services. It's not a completely new market (Blue Ocean), but it's creating a distinct space within the existing market by focusing on depth of personalization and health benefits, aspects less prioritized by mainstream competitors.

Sample Answer

       

Let's consider a hypothetical example using a common strategic move: Focus on a Niche Market. We'll apply this to the increasingly competitive meal kit delivery service industry.

Company: "FreshPlate," a currently moderately successful meal kit delivery service.

Game-Changing Move: Hyper-Personalized Meal Kits for Specific Dietary Needs and Health Goals.

Current Situation: FreshPlate offers a variety of meal kits, catering to general dietary preferences (vegetarian, low-carb, etc.). They face stiff competition from other established players and new entrants.

Proposed Move: FreshPlate should create a hyper-personalized meal kit service that goes beyond basic dietary categories. This would involve:

  1. Detailed Health Profiles: Customers would complete in-depth health questionnaires, including allergies, intolerances, specific health conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart disease), and even fitness goals. They could optionally connect with health tracking apps or wearables.

  2. AI-Powered Meal Planning: FreshPlate's platform would use AI to generate highly customized meal plans based on these individual health profiles. This goes beyond simply choosing a "vegetarian" option; it could tailor meals to manage blood sugar for a diabetic customer and ensure it's also gluten-free and aligns with their weight loss goals.