Why price attacks fail — and what actually works
4
The Situation
Oligopolies are stable by design:
- Few players
- High transparency
- Implicit coordination
- Capital-intensive structures
Result:
Price wars destroy margins without changing power.
The Core Problem
Most challengers attack where incumbents are strongest:
- Cost structure
- Capacity
- Scale
- Balance sheet
➡️ This unites incumbents and kills challengers.
The Strategic Insight
Oligopolies don’t break on price —
they break when the rules of value measurement change.
The real power of oligopolies lies in:
- Standards
- Contract logic
- What customers are taught to value
The META Move (2026)
Shift competition from price → outcome → governance
| Old Logic | META 2026 Logic |
|---|---|
| €/unit | Outcome SLA |
| Volume | Availability / Risk / CO₂ / Time |
| Long rigid contracts | Modular + reviewable agreements |
| Asset dominance | Decision access |
How the Oligopoly Is Actually Disrupted
Not by attacking the core — but by redefining the edge
Winning attack zones:
- Flexibility gaps
- Transition phases
- Risk exposure
- Compliance pressure
- Time-to-decision delays
➡️ Edges first. Core follows later.
Concrete Example (abstracted)
Instead of offering:
“We are cheaper per unit”
Offer:
- Guaranteed outcome (SLA)
- Exit option after 36 months
- Transparent KPIs
- Risk-sharing mechanism
- Governance review cycle
➡️ The customer switches logic, not supplier.
Why Incumbents Struggle to Respond
- Their assets require utilization
- Their contracts resist modularity
- Their governance is implicit, not explicit
➡️ They can’t copy without hurting themselves.
Executive Decision Rule
If you attack an oligopoly on price, you lose.
If you attack it on rules, you change the game.
Early Warning Signal (Board-Level)
If customers start asking:
- “Can you guarantee outcomes?”
- “What happens if conditions change?”
- “What’s the exit logic?”
➡️ The old model is already eroding.
CEO Takeaway
Oligopolies collapse quietly — not dramatically.
The moment outcomes replace volumes,
the balance of power shifts irreversibly.
RapidKnowHow Use
- Signature Inbound Case
- Board Discussion Trigger
- Entry Point for META-Strategy Briefings
