This activity is important because entrepreneurs and managers need to position their companies to sell in underserved and uncrowded markets. Provided that the company's products meet the market's wants and needs, a company has the best chance of success when it operates in a market that is not stuffed with competitors. The goals of this exercise are to anatyze and evaluate four companies' positioning strategies, and to-determine each company's chances of success in-the market. Recall that in order to determine the success of a positioning strategy. marketers must analyze compettors' positions, highlight the competitive advantage of their own firms, and evaluate consumer feedback. Read the four mini-case studies and answer the questions that follow them. Consider the positioning strategies of each of the following (fictional) companies. Ken's Bookstore operates in a medium-sized storefront in the downtown area of a Columbus, Ohio, suburb. Because his rent is expensive and his profit margins are low, Ken does not offer a discount on books. For example, if the suggested retail price of a hardcover book is $24.95, then Ken prices it at $24.95. Even though the same book is priced at $15.99 on Amazon, Ken believes that the corvenience of his bookstore will cause people to buy books from him instead of from Amazon. The Golden File is an upscale nail file boutique. It sells nail files made from the finest metals, such as 14karat gold and silver. Many of the nail files contain precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. The average price of a woman's nall file is $850, and the averoge price of a man's nail file is $1,100. The owners of The Golden File are pleased that they have the only shop on the West Coast that sells luxury nail files. They sell exclusively in their San Francisco, California, store. They do not have a printed catalog, website, or mail-order business, but consumers do post reviews of their product online. While most appreciate the beauty of these products, many also feel they are too expensive and impractical Harry's Hamburgers is a low-priced hamburger restaurant that just opened in the business district in Atlanta, Georgia. The owners have decided that they will use non-premium ingredients but offer a wide variety of menu items, including not only hamburgers but also chicken, pork, salads, and pasta. The district is already home to a McDonald's, Hardee's, Sonic Burger, and Burger King - all of which have been around for quite some time and are very popular among the variety of businesspeople in the area who are always looking for quick, ready-made lunch options. L'Ami de Chats (French, "The Friend of Cats") has a unique business proposition. The owners, who are cat lovers, know that most people do not want to take their cats out of their homes-either for vet visits or for pet care when they go away - because the cats get very distressed. So, for a fee, the employees of LAmi de Chats will come to your home, and feed and play with your cat, while you are away on business or vacation. They also partner with the local veterinarian to do house calls. The business and its employees are located in Phoenix, Arizona, which has a large population-many of whom are cat owners-and no other business that offers this service. The cempeny posboning strategy is unelear at ths moment bocaute the strategy tsell is not weil spected, so we cannot determine whether a is poot, merage, or good