Global gamesmanship

Area of Science:

• Business Strategy
• International Business
• Competitive Analysis

Background:

• Modern multinational competition is complex, resembling a three-dimensional chess game where actions in one market impact others subtly.
• Traditional analysis often fails to grasp or utilize the strategic interdependence between markets.
• Business strategists struggle to anticipate consequences of interdependent choices and leverage them effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and define the concept of Competing Under Strategic Interdependence (CSI).
• To provide a process for mapping the competitive landscape and anticipating cross-market influences.
• To outline six types of CSI campaigns and demonstrate their application.

Main Methods:

• Development of a process for mapping the competitive landscape.
• Identification and categorization of six types of CSI campaigns (onslaughts, contests, guerrilla campaigns, feints, gambits, harvesting).
• Utilizing case studies (Philip Morris vs. R.J. Reynolds) and data analysis (Procter & Gamble, Unilever) to illustrate CSI mapping tools like tables and bubble charts.

Main Results:

• A framework for understanding and visualizing competitive interdependence across markets.
• Demonstration of how seemingly unrelated market actions (e.g., pricing battles) can serve broader strategic goals in other regions.
• Identification of CSI tables and bubble charts as effective tools for uncovering hidden competitive opportunities.

Conclusions:

• The CSI mapping process enables organizations to anticipate and strategically leverage cross-market competitive dynamics.
• This approach is valuable for both global corporations and smaller, multi-product organizations within a single market.
• Skillful application of CSI can lead to significant competitive advantages by exploiting hidden interdependencies.