The balance of this manual will discuss the theory and fundamentals of campaigning for market share and then show you how to plan your own campaign using the tools in vSente's Armory.

The theory and fundamentals discussed focus on winning share from your competition - if you're the challenger you can use these tools and techniques to win share from the defender, and if you're the defender, you will be able to fend off challenger attacks.

The best place to generate new sales is by taking market share from your competition. Why? Because the risks are minimal, customers are trained to write checks for your type of products or services, you know where the customers live and how to reach them, you can start winning new business tomorrow, and you do not have to front precious resources on bet the ranch branding initiatives, new product launches, new market introductions, technology initiatives etc.

But to do this you need to compete. Why? Because your competition will likely resist. And the customer will need to be convinced to change. You need to have a desire to win to play this game, and a laser-like focus to maximize YOUR company's revenue and profit. You have to make the absolute best of the hand you've been dealt. You have get up earlier. Work later. Make more calls. Be smarter than your competition. Faster than your competition. And execute better than your competition.

Most advertising agencies and marketers profoundly underestimate the concept of competition, both from the standpoint of attacking and defending market share. In Competitive Advantage(5), Michael Porter dedicated a chapter to attacking an industry leader. In this chapter, he outlines the conditions for attacking a leader along with avenues for attacking leaders. Channeling classic maneuver theory Porter states that the:

“cardinal rule in offensive strategy is not to attack head-on with an imitative strategy”.

The primary reason why so many agencies and marketers underestimate the concept of attack is their continued emphasis on creativity over strategy and intelligence. Both agencies and marketers continue to value and promote the wrong competencies as evidenced by their focus on awards rather than effectiveness.

Philip Kotler the godfather of contemporary marketing was quoted in the UK publication Marketing Week(6):

“Many marketing professionals are clueless about how effective their strategies are.”

vSente's Campaign Manual addresses this ineffectiveness and is targeted at those marketing managers interested in developing proactive, assertive campaigning competencies.

(5) Porter, Michael E. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. 1985.
(6) Marketing Week. September 25, 2003