Substitutes Quote by Michael E. Porter
““Substitutes are always present, but they are easy to overlook because they may appear to be very different from the industry’s product p.31””
About This Quote
Source Book: Competitive Strategy by Michael E. Porter, 1980
Alternative products exist but are often ignored because they seem different from the main offering.
In simple terms: Substitutes are overlooked.
Key Takeaway
Consider all market alternatives.
Themes
business
strategy
competition
Mood
analytical
strategic
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- product development
- marketing planning
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
economics
market analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you highlight substitute benefits?
- What signals reveal hidden substitutes?
A Different Perspective
Customers may undervalue substitutes.
![“Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine is too complicated for all the elements to be able to enter into the analytical comparison we wish to make, we separate the more inconvenient [elements], we…” quote by Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d9/jean-le-rond-d-alembert-26487_able_geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics_6945.jpg)
