Services in the area of tension between cooperation and competition

On September 13, 2019, the fourth Service Management Forum on the topic of service coopetition took place in Basel. Practical presentations and a panel discussion offered participants possible solutions and innovative impulses to tap the potential of cooperative business models for themselves. Best practices and discussion material were provided by Daniel Ebneter (CEO, Karger Publishers), Jan Exner (Manager Consulting, Adobe), Simon Brösamle (Chief Business Development Officer, SHARE NOW), Sascha Breite (Chief Marketing Officer, Swiss Bankers) and professors Manfred Bruhn (University of Basel) and Karsten Hadwich (University of Hohenheim).

Cooperation and competition: finding the ideal line

The exciting contributions of the speakers made one thing clear above all: Even if you come from different industries, there are similar challenges in the development of cooperative business models. Globalization and digitization, increasing complexity and blurring industry boundaries demand agility from companies when it comes to finding strategies and selecting their strategic partners. This also creates new opportunities for positioning, international expansion and product innovation.

"Technological progress opens up new cooperation potentials and expands the spectrum of strategic opportunities for companies. Coopetition business models with competitors are increasingly becoming a serious option for increasing a company's own market power and generating market growth," said Forum DLM initiator Professor Manfred Bruhn in his introductory talk.

Service-based ecosystems

In his presentation, Daniel Ebneter vividly illustrated how so-called "service-based ecosystems" have developed in the publishing industry and how Karger Verlag is exploring new opportunities for cooperation in this context. The focus here was primarily on the question of how even small and medium-sized publishers can hold their own in an environment characterized by digitization. The increasing importance of organizing customer data with the help of data management platforms and thus controlling marketing expenditure more efficiently was the focus of the presentation by Jan Exner from Adobe.

In his presentation, Simon Brösamle illustrated how two long-standing competitors such as Daimler and BMW can succeed in establishing a future-oriented joint venture in the mobility sector. The basic prerequisite here, he said, is above all the establishment of a common corporate culture and the will to consistently leave old thought patterns behind. "A common basis of trust and transparency are indispensable in coopetition partnerships," emphasized Sascha Breite, CMO of Swiss Bankers, in his contribution. In addition, the willingness to allow time for course corrections also plays an important role in the payment sector.

Added value of coopetition business models

In the concluding panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Mareike Ahlers, Managing Director of Prof. Bruhn & Partner AG, it became clear once again: despite all the challenges for internal processes and corporate culture, coopetition business models offer above all the opportunity to respond to new market needs and to develop innovative products with real added value for customers. Effective change management, good brand positioning and, not least, the willingness of the entire organization to help shape the transformation process are key success factors here.

The DLM Forum was initiated by the marketing and strategy consultancy Prof. Bruhn & Partner AG, the MAS Marketing Management of the University of Basel and the two professors Manfred Bruhn (University of Basel) and Karsten Hadwich (University of Hohenheim) in order to specifically promote the exchange between science and practice.

Information: DLM Forum