Identifying the key players as the market leader, challenger, follower and niche in terms of market share in 2014 and analyzing the marketing strategies used by the market leader (Symphony), Market Challenger (Samsung), other market follower and niche brands.
Creator Influencer Strategy Master Class - Corinne Rose Guirgis
Strategy Analysis of Bangladesh Smartphone Industry 2013-14
1. Strategy Analysis of Bangladesh
Smartphone Industry in 2013-14
From the Perspective of Competitive Dynamics
2. Md. Nafis Bin Islam ZR-04
Nabila Nazneen RK-34
Imran Chowdhury ZR-47
Saimon Imtiaz ZR-56
Md. Iftekharul Amin
Assistant Professor
Institute of Business Administration (IBA)
University of Dhaka
Submitted To:
Prepared By:
4. Industry Overview:
Smartphone industry in Bangladesh is growing at an exponential rate- seeing around
140 percent growth every year
Currently there are 21 million smartphone users in the country
Over 20 home-grown and foreign brands in the market
No smartphone manufacturing plant in Bangladesh, lion share of handsets exported
from China and re-branded here
Local companies gaining market share, foreign ones' declining
Reference: http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2014/05/31/36894
5. The major players in the smartphone industry are –
Symphony
Samsung
Walton
Nokia
Market Players
6. As of May 31, 2014, the market shares of the companies are:
Reference: http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2014/05/31/36894
Market Players
55
13
12
8
4
4
4
Market share of smartphone manufacturers in
Bangladesh
Symphony
Samsung
Walton
Maximus
Nokia
Micromax
Others
7. With 55% market share, Symphony is the current
Market Leader.
Samsung is at 2nd position with 13% market share & is
the main Market Challenger for Symphony.
Presently, Walton is the Market follower with 12%
market share
With a smaller, specified customer segment, we are
considering Nokia as Market Niche with 4% market
share.
Market Players
8. First Symphony smartphone was produced in 2008
First company to introduce dual SIM and QWERTY phone in
Bangladesh
Pricing ranges between Tk 3,700 to Tk 26,000
Has own App and VAS stores
First Bangladeshi brand to be in a leadership position in local
smartphone market
Reference: http://symphony-mobile.com/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=4
Company Overview: Symphony
9. Strategies like cost control through aggressive
pricing strategy, product differentiation such as
contemporary features and style are among the
prime strategies of symphony to hold their
market share.
Also, a country-wide distribution network and
customer service center with ATL(above the line)
help defend its market position.
Strategies of Market Leader
[Symphony]
10. To become the market leader,
Symphony did pro active marketing to
capture and expand it’s market share.
They did anticipative and responsive
marketing.
They also employ defensive marketing
strategies such as position defense,
flank defense, counter offensive
defense in response to attacks from
market challenger.
Strategies of Market Leader
[Symphony]
11. Pro Active Marketing: Responsive marketer finds a stated need
and fills it & anticipative marketer looks ahead to future needs
of customers. Two proactive skills that Symphony use are ---
Responsive Anticipation: Symphony observed the tendency of peoples’
using SIM cards of multiple operator in Bangladesh & was the first cell
manufacturing company to bring mobile sets with dual SIM feature.
Creative anticipation: In response to the increasing demand of tablets (7
inch to 10.1 Inch) in the market, they have introduced a hybrid between
smartphones and tablet “Phablets” in the market.
Strategies of Market Leader
[Symphony]
12. Defensive Marketing Strategies:
Position Defense: Through price leadership, symphony solidifies its position in the
consumer minds. Consumers view Symphony as a brand that provides latest
technologies in minimal price. They have smartphones ranging from 5,000 taka to
30,000
Counter Offensive Defense: In response to Walton’s new Primo ZX and Samsung’s
Galaxy Grand they have launched Xplorer Z IV which has better technology with
lower price than the other competitors.
Flank Defense: They have different smartphone models that are similar to their
flagship model which act as flanks. & defend against possible attacks.
Strategies of Market Leader
[Symphony]
13. International brand, worldwide market
leader with 24 percent market share
Focuses more on high-end devices at higher
price
Product pricing ranges from Tk 7,500 to Tk
80,000
Refernce: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/samsung-vows-changes-after-mobile-profit-
plunges-613809
Company Overview: Samsung
14. Frontal Attack
Using its vast infrastructural and financial resources, Samsung it
taking on Symphony by coming up with products that are equal
in quality, and sometimes even better.
For example, Samsung S Duos model offers the same features as
Symphony's RX2 or VX2 in a similar price range, while Samsung's
model promises higher brand value and service.
Challenger Strategies of
Samsung
15. Bypass attack
Samsung have capitalized on the high-end range of smartphones where
Symphony or even Walton are absent. Its Galaxy line of smartphones
is the highest selling high-end device in the country, thus creating a
profitable bypass for Samsung.
Encirclement Attack
With a product line with varying quality and price range as low as Tk
7,500 to Tk 80,000, Samsung is launching encirclement attacks on the
market leader. The aim is to lure customers with cheaper promotional
offers (combined with guerrilla attack tactics) and then steadily push
them to upgrade.
Challenger Strategies of
Samsung
16. •Started production in 2009
•Marketing mantra - “A Walton phone in every
hand”
•Production line includes 22 different models of
smartphones running Android operating system
•Pricing for smartphones range from Tk 3,990 to
Tk 30,990
Reference: http://www.waltonbd.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=85
Company Overview: Walton
17. Walton uses imitator strategy & adaptor strategy to win some new
customers and to hold current ones.
Imitator: As an imitator, it copies some features from some existing
popular models, such as design but differentiates in packaging,
pricing, location etc.
Follower Strategy of Walton
For example, Walton named one of it’s latest models as Primo S3 which is
similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S3. But, the design is different.
Samsung Galaxy S3 Walton Primo S3
18. Samsung Galaxy S2 Walton Primo s2
Adaptor: Some of Walton’s available smartphones are improved versions
of some other existing models of leading brands.
The design of their previous model Primo S2 was adapted from Galaxy S2
and the LG Nexus 5. It was not a counterfeit copy but front design was
similar.
Follower Strategy of Walton
19. In Bangladeshi handset market since 1997
Was market leader with around 52 percent
market share even in late 2005
Symbian operating system-based Nokia
handsets saw sharp decline following Android's
emergence starting from 2009
Reference: http://mushfiq009.wordpress.com/%E2%80%9Coverview-of-mobile-telecommunication-industry-in-
bangladesh-%E2%80%9D/
Company Overview: Nokia
20. Nokia refused to join the Android platform, instead
partnered with Microsoft to introduce Windows phones
Nokia's Windows-based Lumia line now holds 3.3
percent market share worldwide, and around 4% in
Bangladesh
Nokia introduced three Android-based handsets in late
2013, but abandoned the initiative due to
disappointing sales
Reference: http://blogs.strategyanalytics.com/WSS/post/2014/10/31/Android-
Captures-84-Share-of-Global-Smartphone-Shipments-in-Q3-2014.aspx
Company Overview: Nokia
21. Market Niches offer high value achieve lower manufacturing
cost & specialized in their targeted customer segment. Nokia
shows the following niche characteristics:
Very selective people prefer windows to other smartphone OS.
Nokia is popular in this customer segment with their innovative
Lumia smartphones.
Nokia is also expanding their niches with the latest and most
updated windows OS (Windows 8 mobile) which is more flexible to
use with other devices run by Windows 8 operating system
(laptops, tablets etc).
Nokia has improvised on their smartphone cameras & targeting the
customers segment who are enthusiastic about mobile
photography.
Strategy of Market Niche
[Nokia]
22. Strategy of Market Niche
[Nokia]
PHOTO LUMIA mobiles
Provides cross-platform
Windows operating system support
Nokia Lumia 1020 has 41 megapixel camera,
unprecedented in the smartphone industry
23. References
1. Abrar, M. (2005, December). Overview of telecom sector. Retrieved
November 5, 2014, from Bangladesh Study:
http://mushfiq009.wordpress.com/%E2%80%9Coverview-of-mobile-
telecommunication-industry-in-bangladesh-%E2%80%9D/
2. Android captures 84 perecent share. (2014, October 5). Retrieved
November 5, 2014, from Strategy Analytics:
http://blogs.strategyanalytics.com/WSS/post/2014/10/31/Android-
Captures-84-Share-of-Global-Smartphone-Shipments-in-Q3-2014.aspx
3. Company Overview. (2012). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from Walton
Bangladesh:
http://www.waltonbd.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=85
4. Samsung vows changes after profit plunge. (2014, October 15). Retrieved
November 5, 2014, from NDTV:
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/samsung-vows-changes-after-
mobile-profit-plunges-613809
5. Smartphones soaring in Bangladesh. (2014, May 31). Retrieved November
5, 2014, from Financial Express: http://www.thefinancialexpress-
bd.com/2014/05/31/36894