Question

Which of the following is NOT one of the four basic routes to achieving a differentiation-based competitive advantage?

A. Delivering value to customers via the company's resources, competencies, and value chain activities that rivals don't have or can't afford to match and are well-matched to the requirements of the strategy
B. Incorporating tangible features that raise product performance and increase customer satisfaction with the product
C. Incorporating product attributes and user features that lower the buyer's overall costs of using the company's product
D. Appealing to buyers who are sophisticated and shop hard for the best, stand-out differentiating attributes
E. Incorporating features that enhance buyer satisfaction in intangible or noneconomic ways

Answer 1

Option D is not one of the four basic routes to a differentiation-based competitive advantage. The four main ways include delivering unique value, adding tangible features, incorporating cost-reducing attributes, and providing intangible benefits to enhance buyer satisfaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The option that is NOT one of the four basic routes to achieving a differentiation-based competitive advantage is: D. Appealing to buyers who are sophisticated and shop hard for the best, stand-out differentiating attributes. The four main ways to achieve a competitive advantage through differentiation include: delivering unique value through resources and capabilities competitors lack, adding tangible features that improve product performance, incorporating product attributes that reduce the customer's overall costs, and including intangible features that increase buyer satisfaction in non-economic ways.

Differentiated products can have several distinct characteristics; they can have physical differences, varying locations from which they are sold, intangible aspects like guarantees of satisfaction or high-quality reputation, and differing perceptions shaped by advertising.