流利说商务英语Level5Unit2Part1MarketPositionsMarketdominanceishowstrongacompany'sbrand,servicesorproductsarecomparedtoitscompetitors.Typicallytherearefourtypesofmarketdominancecategories.(1)LeaderAmarketleaderhasthelargestmarketshareinitsindustry.Itholdsadominantposition.Marketleadersareoftenthefirsttodevelopnewproductsandbusinessmethods.Inordertomaintaintheirposition,mostmarketleadersinvestheavilyinresearchanddevelopment.Iftheyhadn'tinvestedsoheavilyinresearchanddevelopment,theywouldhavelosttheirpositionasamarketleader.(2)ChallengerAmarketchallengerhasastrongpositioninthemarket,butnotadominantmarketshare.Itmayadoptaggressivestrategiestoincreaseitsmarketshare.Challengerscanalsoincreasetheirmarketsharebyfocusingonareasthatamarketleaderhasoverlooked.Oneofthestrategiesforchallengerstogainmarketshareistointroducedifferentiatedproducts.Challengersneedtoadoptaggressivestrategiestoincreasetheirmarketshare.(3)FollowerAmarketfollowerdoesnothaveastrongpositioninthemarket.Itdoesn'ttakerisksandusuallycopiesothercompanies’productsorstrategies.Theydonotfocusonincreasingtheirmarketshare.Butbyadoptingthebestpracticesofothercompanies,theycanmaintainastablepositioninthemarket.(4)NicherAnicherisacompanythatconcentratesonaspecializedmarket.Nicherstypicallyprovideproductsorservicesthatarenotofferedbyothercompanies.Byestablishinganiche,acompanycanavoidcompetitionwhilemakingaprofit.Althoughitdidn'thaveastrongpositioninthemarket,thecompanywasstillabletoexistasafollower.Newcompaniescanfindanichemarketbyidentifyingdemandsthatarenotbeingmetbyothercompanies.Sincefollowersdon'thavedifferentiatedproductsorstrategies,theynormallyhavesubstantiallylessmarketshare.