A longitudinal examination of positioning strategies in a liberalized developing African economy: The case of Ghana

This article examines the nature of positioning strategies pursued by companies (domestic and foreign) conducting business in a liberalized developing African economy, Ghana, over a ten-year period. Specifically, this research deals with the aggregate behaviors of firms operating in Ghana's post-SAP (structural adjustment program)-induced environment. The findings reveal that the dominant positioning strategies are the brand name (branding tactics) and value for money (affordability). However, more recently, attractiveness, which implies elegance about the offering, has also emerged as a prominent positioning strategy. Evidence that supports the robustness of companies' adoption of positioning strategies within sub-Saharan African economies is also developed. The results also suggest that firms doing business in sub-Saharan African marketplaces characterized by an open and liberalized business climate have no choice but to become competitive in their positioning and with the aim of targeting the mass market and the lower-middle-class target audiences.