There are certain factors that are involved in the success of WhatsApp and make it stand out in the kind of competition that is present these days. One of the competitive edges of WhatsApp is it being a pioneer in its industry. Many other apps were introduced after WhatsApp following the same model but WhatsApp had the first mover advantage. It was introduced around 2009 when no other similar and popular enough app existed in the market.

Moreover, WhatsApp brought convenience with it being available for all smart phone users. It is easy to download, free, convenient and secure. Even people with a very basic smart phone are able to use WhatsApp. It is available and works all around the world. All this convenience that it provided became its competitive advantage. Adding more features to the app resulted in even more convenience for users as the users today use WhatsApp for all their communication needs. Not only they can use it to stay in touch but also use it for business purposes and sharing of more than just messages.

Today, after WhatsApp has just been in the market for nine years, it has already established a very strong customer base and that too loyal customer base. This customer base is also WhatsApp’s competitive advantage, where similar Apps like Viber which was introduced following WhatsApp’s model were not able to gain. With WhatsApp being successful around the world, it is now one of the most known brands around the world and the world’s biggest mobile messaging service. The brand name that WhatsApp has gained and maintained over the years now counts as its competitive advantage as well.

Another competitive advantage that WhatsApp enjoys is the fact that it is add free. In the age of technology and apps where users are always avoiding ads and sometimes get too annoyed by the ads that they give up on the app, WhatsApp has maintained its position of being ad free for all its users. Not only is the app free, it does not bring in any barrier or break in using the app by bringing in the ads. Users appreciate this feature and when compared with other similar apps, they always choose WhatsApp being ad-free for all its users.

WhatsApp has developed its brand name in a very short period of time because it was able to revolutionize messaging for smart phone users and in a competitive industry of technology, that is the foremost ingredient in the formula of success.

References

About WhatsApp. Retrieved February 5, 2018, from https://www.whatsapp.com/about/
Jan Koum. Retrieved February 5, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/profile/jan-koum/
Martin, J. A. (2014, February 20). How WhatsApp is Different Than Other Messaging Apps. Retrieved February 5, 2018, from https://www.cio.com/article/2370112/mobile-apps/how-whatsapp-is-different-than-other-messaging-apps.html

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As evident from the starting strategy of WestJet Airlines, their low-cost is one of the biggest competitive advantages even after so many years. Along with offering surprisingly cheap prices on their tickets, WestJet Airlines does not compromise on the services that they offer their customers in that price. These include TV, complementary beverages and several other in-flight services in order to make their customer’s experience worth it. So their strategy of low costs is very well complemented with valuable customer services that they provide which eventually gives them a competitive advantage.

WestJet airline is so successful even after so many years and so much competition that exists in the market today because of the fact that they were able to successfully identify their target market. They targeted the consumers who would not spend more than a certain amount on traveling even if it saved them a lot of time. By doing so, they were able to clearly identify and maintain their competitive edge by gaining those customers and fulfilling their needs of traveling in the lowest possible price.

WestJet has been able to sustain a certain culture in which they believe in providing their customers with the best service while following principles like responsibility and cooperation. By maintaining a certain company culture within their company environment as well as delivering it to their customers, they have built up a certain brand image for themselves. They are able to deliver exceptional service at lower cost and have maintained that culture for all these years of their operation. This counts as their competitive advantage because many competitors have tried to follow their strategy and culture but WestJet still stands apart in so much competition that exists in the market.

When a certain company has been there in the industry for decades and that too by being so successful in their offering, they are able to develop a distinct image for themselves. WestJet Airline has also gained and maintained their brand reputation for so many years that today their name speaks for itself. So the kind of position that WestJet enjoys today in the market, their brand name is also their competitive advantage which makes the customers choose them instead of other alternatives.

References

About us. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/about-us/index
Nav. (2010, September 21). WestJet’s Competitive Advantage. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from http://www.abonarconsultants.com/blog/2010/09/21/west-jet%E2%80%99s-competitive-advantage-2/
Nawabi, O. (1970, January 1). WESTJET AIRLINES. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from http://westjetairlines-blog.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-competitive-advanages-does-westjet.html
Tang, K. (2016, August 19). Richard Bartrem – How WestJet Competes with Culture. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/for-leaders/leadership-blogs/2016/08/richard-bartrem-how-westjet-competes-with-culture/

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With the kind of success that Xiaomi have had in just a few years, it is clear that it has been successful in its industry and there are many reasons for why Xiaomi stands out in such a competitive technology world. It is often called as the ‘Apple of China’.

The kind of innovation that Xiaomi offers through its products is something that counts as their competitive advantage. Xiaomi has always kept its focus on providing something unique to the customers so that the customers keep on upgrading their Xiaomi phones. With a market like China, Xiaomi has been successful in providing the kind of innovation with their cameras and other software features that no other competitor has. Most importantly, they take their innovation ideas by the latest trends and make sure that they are the first ones to deliver in terms of that. For instance, they noticed the selfie fever rising all around the world and cashed on that by improving their selfie camera and marketed it.

Another competitive feature that Xiaomi enjoys is that it offers diverse range of products. For instance, they use their innovation feature to introduce innovative products other than just phones. This just keeps their product portfolio increasing and their customers constantly involved in following up with the latest products that they offer.

Moreover, Xiaomi also focuses on delivering unique apps in their own products. Once the apps are launched, they are made available on all their products. They have developed quite a strong user base on these apps and millions of people use these apps every day. Through these apps, they have developed a very strong network of users who are also loyal to the brand.

With this new technologically advanced generation and most of the users being active on social media platforms, Xiaomi reaches out its customers following the trend. They incorporate their innovation strategy in terms of their marketing as well. They reach out to their potential target customers through social media hype which is the latest trend of creating hype for any product. Because of this, Xiaomi has a very competitive marketing strategy and they claim that most of their customers reach them for their product’s information because of the hype created on social media and the power of word of mouth.

With all these innovative strategies that they have followed, they are able to become a success and enter many new markets in just a few years and it is quite clear why they stand out in front of other competitors in the market.

References

About Xiaomi. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from https://www.mi.com/in/about/
Ross, J. (2015, April 13). Xiaomi or Apple – two innovation strategies for China. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2015-04/13/content_35307226.htm
Xiaomi Exec: ‘We’re Playing a Completely Different Game’. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from http://time.com/4273853/xiaomi-apple-china/

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Xerox’s constant thrive to provide innovation through their existing and new products automatically gives them a competitive advantage compared to their competition. For example, just recently in 2017, Xerox launched 29 new devices on an event that is called as the biggest launch event in decades. The event focused on launching these innovative products that could target and facilitate the operations of many of their customer businesses. Through such innovative products, they are able to attract these potential customers and increase their business. The kind of technology introduced in these devices is meant to bring convenience in different departments of these companies.

Moreover, Xerox also brings innovation through apps in their devices. By introducing certain apps in their devices, they further facilitate the operations of these companies and help them perform better in their business. These apps are meant to solve obstacles that any company would face in their workflow and these are much better than the services offered by other competitors which definitely give them a competitive edge.
Along with offering other features through their products, Xerox is also known to solve the problems faced in color management system by providing an automated system through their products that help facilitate the process. The process which was time consuming before now can be performed within no time and that too very effectively. Also, the whole process becomes useful because it provides accurate color with the right kind of mix of external factors including light, temperature etc. This feature is not provided by other competitors which gives Xerox a competitive edge.

Xerox offers technology solutions that are safe and secure. With businesses having major concerns regarding their privacy and security, Xerox deals with this concern by providing extra layers of security through their products. Business data is kept safe through confidential communications and encryption of data. This feature helps Xerox gain the trust of their customers and build long-term relationships with them.

Moreover, Xerox also maintains the data for these businesses through their cloud services. Their business customers can easily save their data in the cloud and share within their company with the trust that their data is under complete encryption and will always be confidential. Such features also help them gain loyalty of their customers and give their customers a reason to choose them instead of their competitors in the market. It is through all these competitive advantages that Xerox is able to expand and grow by each passing year.

References

About Xerox. (2017, September 20). Retrieved February 7, 2018, from https://www.xerox.com/en-us/jobs/company-information
Doi, D. (2012). Confidence in Color Quality Provides a Competitive Advantage. Quick Printing. http://doi.org/10.18411/a-2017-023
How Xerox Can Give Your Business a Competitive Advantage. (2017, April 17). Retrieved February 7, 2018, from http://smallbusinessedge.com/xerox-can-give-business-competitive-advantage/

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It is very evident that Microsoft entered the gaming market with a well-planned strategy and succeeded in gaining its position in the market by becoming one of the most known brands in gaming around the world. They created their competitive advantage in the industry through these strategies. They worked intensely on product development, identifying that it is very crucial to their products standing out. Microsoft Xbox Company kept on bringing improvements and innovation in their products to stay in the competition to become the leader in the gaming industry and they did that by introducing their highly liked product called Microsoft Xbox 360. With much development and research put in in their new product they were able to improve the processing power, graphics and other services like Xbox Live, which made their product more effective and was well received by customers. They further enhanced the experience for players by making gaming interactive through streaming services.

Microsoft implemented another strategy to keep their customers involved with their products by offering games to their customers that they could play through their consoles. For that, Microsoft aligned their strategy with a deal with EA games to develop games and they made their games accessible through their consoles. This added to their revenues and also kept their customers within the company instead of switching to a competitor. Many more alliances were also made by Microsoft in order to improve the overall experience for players and this added to their competitive advantage.

Through Microsoft Xbox, the users experience TV integration where they are able to enjoy more than just gaming through their Xbox products. By using Xbox console connected to their TV, users can now enjoy all the other features offered through Microsoft’s alliances, for instance live streaming, Netflix and other interactive services where they are able to connect and interact with other users sitting all around the world. So the users are able to enjoy integrated services in their living rooms through one console. This is something that even their biggest competitor, Play Station wasn’t able to provide so these features definitely makes Xbox stand out in such a competitive market all around the world.

However, it should be noted that with the fast pacing world of technology where everything is about the cloud now, Microsoft may lag behind and lose some of their market if they do not innovate in that matter.

References

Angel Wings of Xbox. Retrieved February 7, 2018, from http://angelwingsofxbox.wikidot.com/competitive-advantage-on-the-xbox
Frick, W. (2014, August 11). Three Strategy Lessons From the Latest Round of Xbox vs. PlayStation. Retrieved February 7, 2018, from https://hbr.org/2013/11/three-strategy-lessons-from-the-latest-round-of-xbox-vs-playstation
Microsoft’s Xbox. Retrieved February 7, 2018, from http://teamxbox.wikidot.com/marketing-strategies
Xbox | Games and Entertainment on All Your Devices. Retrieved February 7, 2018, from https://www.xbox.com/en-US/

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Their competitive advantage is the kind of innovation that they add to their app consistently. Yelp works on developing their research and development department which helps them bring innovation their services in order to improve the overall experience for the customers and to sustain these loyal customers in the long run. For instance, the users can not only view the local businesses through Yelp, but can also reach out to these businesses with their queries and then also buy or book their businesses online. These features help save time of the users as they are able to complete all their tasks through one app instead of switching to various apps. By providing such convenience to the users, Yelp gains its competitive advantage.

Yelp has a very intelligent and well though model as they did not have to reach out to their potential businesses; rather they were able to offer them incentives. Just because the businesses could see their own advantage in advertising and reaching out to the customers through Yelp, it benefited them in various ways. Especially today, when after many years of operations Yelp has achieved and maintained a consistent customer base, the businesses consider Yelp as an opportunity for them to increase their sales. It is also evident from past reports that businesses noticed an increase in revenue after advertising through Yelp.

Yelp has also invested in partnering with apps like Google Maps which further help them increase their user base.  By doing so, Yelp is able to reach out to even more customers because when people use Google to look for a certain business, it also directs them to businesses that are featured on Yelp, thereby driving the online traffic towards Yelp and eventually increasing their customers as well as profits.

Yelp is known as number one business directory because they are able to provide convenience to the technologically enhanced customers of today and they started providing the users with something that no one else through of. Despite a lot competition in the industry today, Yelp is still maintaining its position through its own competitive advantages.

References

About Us. Retrieved February 7, 2018, from https://www.yelp.com/about
Google Making Maps App More Competitive With Yelp. (2014, August 11). Retrieved February 7, 2018, from https://searchengineland.com/google-makes-map-app-competitive-yelp-196605
Luis V. Sanchez, CFA Hedge fund manager, long/short equity, special situationsAnaxi Capital Management.cls-1{fill:#024999;}. (2016, July 4). Buy Yelp: The Network Effect Is Strong (80% Upside). Retrieved February 7, 2018, from https://seekingalpha.com/article/3983055-buy-yelp-network-effect-strong-80-percent-upside
Yelp: a 5-star review. Retrieved February 7, 2018, from https://rctom.hbs.org/submission/yelp-a-5-star-review/

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An information technology company, Tata Consultancy Service TCS has achieved remarkable competitive edge not only in its home country India but has expanded its software business successfully at global level as well. TCS has only followed one theme up till now and that is growth.

Trusted Partners

Since TCS is part of TATA group, a symbol of trust and success in India, this partnership gives the company an edge for its business. The TATA brand operates in diversified industries as telecommunication, energy, engineering and consumer goods giving TCS a stronger brand image.  Strategic partners like Oracle, IBM and SAP help TCS to provide remarkable integrated IT solutions.

Global Presence:

TCS has become a growth engine in the Indian IT industry by making an effective use of its global presence and geographic location. The consultants are spread across the world in the delivery centers present in 47 countries. This presence makes the competencies available for successful application of projects.

Global Network Delivery Model:

The GNDM developed by TCS is considered a benchmark in the history of software development. With this model, TCS is able to provide consultation in the areas of engineering, IT, infrastructure and assurance services. The company is able to provide customers the same experience and lower cost globally with this strategic delivery concept maintaining high quality services.

Innovation Labs:

Being an essential to the competitiveness, the artificial intelligence has been successfully adopted by TCS in its 19 innovation labs which will bring a dramatic change by 2020 by delivering real results to the global business. The successful implementation of AI has improved all the business functions of marketing, finance, and HR and customer service. These labs have strong network relationships with the new start -ups and partners for developing innovative solutions.

Well Defined Disaster Management:

The disaster management plan is mutually defined to the TCS customers. In case of any disaster like undersea cable fault, the internet traffic is diverted to the alternate routes. This ensures the continuity of TCS business.

Sustained Development in Europe:

Some big IT giants as Infosys and Wipro have also tried to capture European market but none of them has shown sustainable growth as TCS. The strong customer centricity is part of TCS culture and management practices. Not only it has maintained to meet to stakeholder expectations but also the quality of execution of services has also remained same. The strategy has remained coherent regarding the reinforcement of its local resources and then delivering the process solutions globally unlike other competitors.

Highly Skilled Workforce:

Indian market comprises of highly skilled people and TCS has made an effective use of this asset for building an intellectual property for expanding its footprint to the customer organizations. The staff utilization rates are higher than average. The company has remained successful for attracting and retaining its employees in all the global markets.

TCS is now emphasizing on simplification of business process to IT infrastructure which will turn out to be a state of the art transformation by making use of artificial intelligence and robotics in near future.

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Tesco is known for a UK retail business that has achieved a bench mark of earning profits through excellent customer service, low cost and high quality products. The competitive advantage makes the product preferable over others by the customers and for Tesco some of them are explained here:

Following are the Tesco sources of competitive Advantage.

Diversification

One of the major competitive advantages of Tesco is its diversification. While started as a food selling brand, the Tesco planned to diversify in their own label which helped them to fulfill more customer needs. Tesco value caters the low income families while the finest range is expensive and meets the needs of high income class. Other ranges include Organic, Kids and Healthy living. The brand is also making its fame in the car insurance, home appliances and kitchen wares.

Distribution System

The supply chain system of Tesco is the most advanced one which helps to deliver the product in a cost and time effective manner to the desired stores. The efficiency of Tesco distribution system is further enhanced by upgrading the in-store processes and the ordering systems. The low cost home delivery system also helps Tesco to maintain the customer choice as a first priority.

Investment in Digital Programs

Tesco has further gained competitive edge in its operations by creating the service oriented products. The availability of product and removal of waste has been ensured by the heavy investment in the third generation ERP solutions.  This program has brought a dramatic change in the company’s profitability.

Striking Advertisement

The more striking and easier to recognize, the more it will be remembered by the people. The famous slogan of Tesco “Every Little Helps” is very popular among people and has given the company a competitive edge. Various celebrities are also included in their advertising campaigns for making the brand and products more likable. Customer loyalty has further been extended by offering them the Tesco club cards on shopping of the particular items. The on spot discounts and green living range of products has also attracted many customers from their rivals.

Cost Leadership

Tesco has captured greater market share due to its ability to maintain the price low. The price leadership is quite unbeatable by the other rivals as Walmart and Carrefour.

Well Motivated Staff

The staff at Tesco is always ready to help the customers with their queries while shopping. The 24 hour service is open for the late night travelers unlike many other grocery stores. The employees are considered as an integral part of business and Tesco believes in employee empowerment and workforce development for taking the business to the next level.

International Expansion

In order to ensure long term growth and profitability, Tesco has introduced three principles for expanding the business at international level.

•    Suitable Joint ventures and acquisitions
•    New geographic locations for growth
•    Less competition in new market

In 10 out of 12 countries where Tesco has expanded, it has remained successful and the first one to reach those areas thus achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. Tesco being assumed controversial by many is still visited by the thousands.

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TATA, The Name Speaks

Being the part of such a large TATA group is itself a competitive advantage. This affiliation provides the company with the needed knowledge and technology resources for taking their business to various parts of the world.

Geographic Location

Being active and dynamic, TATA motors has competitive advantage for being located in India for the low cost labor base. The company fully understands not only the Indian market but many emerging markets as well. The products are manufactured at lower costs and sold to the new markets earning huge profits. India is known for least expensive automobile parts which gives TATA a direct access. Moreover the policies and regulations in India are very favorable for TATA for business expansion.

Innovation and R&D

The excellent innovation and research and development at TATA motors have created examples for the rivals. The company has come up with the least expensive car model NANO which is one of its own kind and no other car manufacturer has ever created such. This automobile has astonished the industry for its low cost and material and technology. The main competitive advantage came from their remarkable innovation and development.  TATA has various research centers throughout the India working on the improvement of the engine efficiency, design, style and instrumentation of vehicles.

Mergers and Acquisitions:

Continuous growth and expansion is the company goal.  TATA has successfully acquired various companies for breaking into the foreign markets. While the company has delivered amazing results in domestic market, its subsidiary Jaguar land rover has broken all the records of competitors as a top luxury automobile manufacturer. This mega expansion mode calls for major product development, capacity capitalization and various national and international mergers.

Effective HR Management

The people strategy is lean and strong since ever. TATA has a very strong workforce base however it has cut off the surplus staff recently in June 2017 as a part of organization restructuring and gaining a competitive advantage.  The organization is refreshed by changing the functions and locations of various employees. The staff is also provided necessary training and skill development courses. The company gives utmost importance to dealer training as well to improve their productivity. Few outsourcing activities like logistics and facilities management has also called up for downsizing of the workforce at TATA.

Product Development

TATA aims to fulfill the emerging needs of the automobile industry by coming up with new range of products. These products are manufactured with purpose of providing comfort, reliability, safety, capacity and value to the end customers. In order to stay ahead of the competition, the company is going for huge investments in the area of product development. TATA Ace is being introduced in commercial vehicle market for snatching the market share of its rivals. Another sporty vehicle Nexon with both diesel and petrol engine is also attracting customers already.

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Real Time News Feeds

Twitter is famous for distributing live news in a manner which no other social site has achieved up till now. Twitter earns profit by delivering real time news and keeping the users updated. The advertisers use this medium to promote their messages. Users can send and read ‘tweets’, which are text messages or text based posts up to 140 characters. Twitter gives access to know about what is going to happen or happening in your country, city, industry, community, and around the world. You can start tweeting to promote your work or share your ideas and thoughts with other peoples.

More Diverse Audience

One of the main purposes of using Twitter is socializing by connecting with your friends, family members and getting updates about the things in which you have interest. It is one of the best ways to stay connected among diverse group of people. Males are regular visitors of Twitter and college people and high income class is more affiliated with Twitter than the Facebook and Instagram. Similarly the people belonging to urban areas like twitter more.

Frequent Brand Posting

Twitter is fastest way to interact. When you post or tweet something, people following you will receive the tweet immediately and you will get an instant reaction from their followers. 49 percent of people follow the brands on Twitter on monthly basis. For any brand, one can easily notice no post for weeks and even months but on twitter account the brands do regular advertising on daily basis.

Expanding Business

Twitter allows business owners to interact directly within a second with their targeted market and customers easily and effectively by sharing information about their products and services and build relationship with customers and partners. It provides easy way to quickly address customer concerns by answering tweets from followers who ask about products.  It also give effective way to alert clients about any changes in the company’s policy and advertisements of any upcoming events or sales and other important notices. It allows your customers stay in touch with the latest happenings in your business:   

Free from Advertisements

Twitter is free from advertisements. You don’t have to face problem with bunch of advertisements like other social networking sites do while using it.  This gives extra competitive edge to twitter by increased number of followers. Twitter is indeed a clear choice for time sensitive content and this is the major competitive advantage of this social nework.

Job Searching

Twitter is heavily followed by literate people so it acts as an effective medium for searching job. Many HR managers, recruiters and employers actively post new jobs on Twitter. No doubt twitter is one of the best and most popular social networks amongst others. Large number of people registers on twitter to stay updated with latest jobs all around the world.   

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