E-Marketing Professionals

3. Standby positioning. It may not be in the best economic interest of a firm to switch from a multisegment positioning strategy to a monosegment strategy (assuming the use of several brands, each positioned to serve the needs of only one segment) even if it increases total market share. In such a case, the firm may decide to implement a monosegment positioning strategy only when forced to do so, In order to minimize response time, the firm prepares a standby plan specifying the product(s) and their attributes as well as details of the marketing program(s) that would be used to position the new product.

4. Imitative positioning. This is essentially the same as a head-on strategy where a new brand targets a position similar to that of an existing successful brand. It may be an appropriate strategy if the imitative firm has a distinctive advantage beyond positioning, such as better access to channels of distribution, a more effective salesforce, or substantially more money to spend on promotion, including price deals.

5. Anticipatory positioning. A firm may position a new brand in anticipation of the evolution of a segment's needs. This is particularly appropriate when the new brand is not expected to have a fast acceptance, and market share will build as the needs of consumers become more and more aligned with the benefits being offered. At its best, this strategy enables a firm to preempt a market position that may have a substantial long-term potential. At its worst, it may cause the firm to face a difficult economic situation for an extended period if the needs of a segment do not evolve as expected

.