The Scientific-Theoretical Foundations of Competitive Marketing Strategy
Abstract
The search for sustained competitive advantage in increasingly turbulent markets demands a robust scientific–theoretical grounding of marketing strategy. This study synthesizes classical and contemporary theoretical lenses—industrial‑organization economics, the resource‑based view, dynamic capabilities theory, and institutional perspectives—to clarify the conceptual scaffolding of competitive marketing strategy. Using a structured qualitative content analysis of canonical and emergent literature, the article identifies the convergent constructs that underlie strategic positioning, differentiation, and value co‑creation. Results reveal that effective competitive marketing strategy rests on the integration of market orientation with firm‑specific learning routines that continuously reconfigure resources in anticipation of environmental shifts. The discussion elaborates a multidimensional framework linking advantage mechanisms (cost, differentiation, relational, and innovation‑driven) to measurable marketplace outcomes and offers implications for scholarly research and managerial practice.