corporate jujitsu

When a company uses the tactics of its critics or competitors against them, in order to neutralize these opponents or to promote its own products or brand.

AT&T might shy away from a Friends & Family lookalike anyway. Why? Because it holds 62% of the residential market, and those customers are calling other AT&T customers about 62% of the time. Discounting those calls would mean a huge revenue hit. MCI, with its smaller residential share, can discount calls to other MCI customers without suffering such a big penalty. "This is what we call corporate jujitsu," says MCI's Price. "You look for your opponent's weakness and home in on it." Friends & Family may be earning MCI a black belt in marketing. -- Business Week, 1992.03.23.

corporate jujitsu by jaysonfire July 1, 2009