Consumer warfare: implications for marketing strategy

Purpose – Instead of being characterized as manufacturers competing among themselves for business, the marketplace today can be best depicted as powerful consumers competing among themselves. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework of strategies employed by empowered consumers and explore how businesses can relate to each. Design/methodology/approach – The article examines the changes that have occurred in the business environment and in consumers. The power distribution in channels of distribution has shifted from manufacturers to consumers. Furthermore, consumers find themselves in a culture characterized by materialism. In a materialistic culture, the importance attributed to products arises not from the physical needs they fulfill, but from their ability to establish one's identity. Consumers' possessions become the tools for engaging and competing with other individuals. Findings – Faced with the empowered consumer, businesses find that they must employ a different set of strategies when reaching consumers. Strategies available to consumers are identified and explored. Approaches available to businesses to successfully target consumers employing each of the strategies are examined. Originality/value – Catering products and marketing messages to the competitive needs of consumers involves positioning products as tools which consumers can use as they employ consumer warfare strategies. Consequently, by picturing their products as tools to use when employing consumer warfare strategies, businesses can better satisfy the needs of their consumers.