“If you attack the enemy just after they have formulated their strategy, it will ruin their plans and force them to submit.”
War is costly business. Imagine getting into an advertising or pricing war against your competitor. How much would that cost? In the chapter for Planning Offensives, Sun Tzu wrote in the Art of War that the highest realization of warfare is to attack plans.
So using the same example chart from the first tactic (Estimates), assuming that I am your competitor. How would I try to disrupt your plan?
If I wanted to create a head-on confrontation, I would assume the West Palace (marked by the No. 5). I would hire a high-profile Expert who has a strong and trustworthy reputation in the market, someone who has got the required knowledge. He or she will front my marketing campaign which I will tailor according to what will appeal to the market.
According to this chart, the market is currently in the South West palace (marked by the No. 4). The market currently favours the cultivation of a community (Harmony), and the best way to get their attention is through educational marketing.
By employing this tactic, I will receive the support of the market (SouthWest palace produces West). At the same time, it puts me squarely against what you are doing, creating a differentiation point.
When do I need to take action? The ripple effects of your action was felt in June (No. 3) and will reach the market place by July or August (No. 4). Therefore, the window of opportunity for me to take action is getting smaller. I must act fast, within the month if possible, to intervene before the window closes and receive the benefits from the market’s support.
