Achieving competitive advantage through differentiation of market offerings: the case of chemical fertilizers importing companies in Kenya

Abstract

The primary objectives of this study were, (i) to investigate whether the marketing strategy of differentiating the market offerings is being practiced in Kenya,(ii)to assess the extent to which adoption of differentiation strategies influences a firm's competitiveness and (iii)to assess whether there is a relationship between a firm's demographic variables and the adoption of differentiation strategy. The researcher was prompted into undertaking this study by the numerous readings about differentiation strategy and especially the arguments that any product can be differentiated to give it a unique position the industry. All the ten (10) commercial fertilizer importing companies in Kenya were included in the study. The researcher personally administered a partially structured questionnaire. The response rate was ninety percent. The principle research findings of the study were that; the marketing strategy of differentiating the market offerings is being practiced by the chemical fertilizer importing companies in Kenya, adoption differentiation strategy greatly influences a firms' competitiveness and that there is a relatively low relationship between a firms' demographic variables and adoption of differentiation strategy on the one hand and between a firm' s demographics and the achievement of competitive advantage .