| dc.description.abstract | Changes in the global markets resulting from technological advancements, economic restructuring, labor movements, and public demands for better products and services have forced organizations to reconsider their business strategies in order to achieve a sustained competitive advantage. Recent decades have also seen expansive media growth. Not only is the number of media outlets available via cable, satellite, and the Internet greater than ever but the media companies themselves have been growing at an unprecedented pace. The purpose of this study was to determine the strategies adopted by local media houses to gain competitive advantage and whether the strategies adopted helped the Local media houses to gain competitive advantage. Since enactment of freedom of press Act during Kibaki‟s reign and migration from analogue platform to digital platform many media houses have emerged. This is due to reduced cost of entrance into the market. Digital platform has enhanced clarity of the television thus giving the viewers more option of viewership. This has created interest on the strategies that these new media houses should adopt to compete successfully with the rest of media houses in the industry. A descriptive survey was adopted for this study. The population of interest in this study was all the local media houses in Kenya. This study was concerned with all the thirty local media houses in Kenya. The questionnaires were directed to either a business manager or their representatives for each media house The response rate was seventy percent, indicating that out of the thirty local media houses that the research targeted, twenty one media houses responded. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires after which descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used as the methods of data analysis since some of the issues in the study involved perception. The results of the study reveal that most media houses profile their customers and tailor their products to meet their specific needs. Also the study found out that most media houses have divisions within the firm that are designed to cater for the specific client segments. The media houses operate at low costs and they boost their reputation towards the third party by maintaining high quality products. From the research findings it can be concluded that the competitiveness of any media house is determined by how well the media house can satisfy its customers need by analyzing their need and surpassing their expectations. This can also be enhanced by the media houses meeting these need at lowest cost possible and not compromising on the quality of the product. The study provides empirical support for Open system theory which appreciates that firms are strongly influenced by the external forces. The study recommends that managers of media houses should keep abreast with the changing technologies in the media industry locally and abroad to boost their competitiveness. This study adds knowledge on the open system theory which holds that firms are greatly influenced by external forces and also contributes to the existing literature in the field of strategy and competitive advantage. The study is also valuable to the policy makers as it helps them in designing appropriate policies that will regulate the media industry players while decision makers in media industries will design appropriate strategies to purse to gain competitive advantage which will help them compete effectively in the media industry. | en_US |
