Too Little Or Too Much Competition? Integrating Legal And Relationship Marketing Strategies To Manage Market Entry Adversity

Abstract

In the deregulated, yet highly regulated environment of the telecommunications industry, a rural telephone cooperative transformed itself into a successful integrated telecommunications company. Managing local political and legal environments along with using relationship marketing tactics implemented cross-functionally, this Midwestern company challenged incumbent monopolies for market share. While the company spent more than one year acquiring legal permission to access the market and another year building its fiber optic telecommunications network, it also constructed relationships with community leaders, politicians, media outlets, and thousands of residents. Its monopoly competitors utilized state laws and the legal process in an attempt to prevent the Midwestern companys entry into the market. Interestingly, the competitors ignored the necessity of relationship marketing and by the time the Midwestern companys first client was connected, it had a waiting list of eager new consumers. This case chronicles the actions taken to achieve the Midwestern companys major accomplishments and expansion and is appropriate for use in a graduate Business and Society, or Business, Government and Society course.