Learn in the textbookBasic Concepts of Competitive Strategy
DefinitionAn imitation (matching) strategy (同質化戦略) is one in which the industry leader adopts the point of difference (differentiation) a challenger has introduced and so cancels it out.
ExplanationOnce the difference disappears, customers choose on overall strength such as scale and sales reach, and the leader, which is stronger on those points, comes out ahead. That is why the strategy suits a firm with the money and production capacity to match a challenger's moves right away.
AnalogyIt is like a sumo wrestler who picks up any new move the moment an opponent shows it, then simply wins on sheer size.
Memory hookThe opposite of "different in kind" is "same in kind." The challenger attacks by being different; the leader answers by becoming the same.