Final answer:
A low-cost leadership competitive strategy is effective in markets with intense price competition and standardized products, where cost efficiency and focus on core competencies enable a firm to offer the lowest prices.
Step-by-step explanation:
A competitive strategy predicated on low-cost leadership tends to work best in scenarios where price competition among rivals is especially vigorous and the offerings of rival firms are essentially identical, standardized, commodity-like products. This particular competitive strategy is effective when the primary buying factor for customers is the price, as low-cost leaders can capitalize on their cost advantage to offer the lowest prices. Firms focusing on core competencies can often position themselves as low-cost leaders by achieving higher efficiency and economies of scale in their specialized areas.