An offensive strategy, if successful, can open up a competitive advantage over rivals How long this process takes depends on the industry 's competitive characteristics. The buildup period, shown in Figure 5-1, can be short as in service
businesses which need little in the way of equipment and distribution support to implement a new offensive move. Or the buildup can take much longer, as in capital intensive and technologically sophisticated industries where firms may need several years to debug a new technology, bring new capacity on line, and win consumer acceptance of a new product. Ideally, an offensive move builds competitive advantage quickly; the longer it takes the more likely rivals will spot the move, see its potential, and begin responding. The size of the advantage (indicated on the vertical scale in Figure 5-1) can be large (as in pharmaceuticals where patents on new drugs produce a substantial advantage) or small (as in apparel where popular new designs can be imitated quickly)