A contribution to the concept and use of topical and potential competition in a company marketing

In this article is described a relative separated area within the framework of investigating individual behavior of competitors on the selling market of goods and services. The first part deals with the specification of the circle of competitors (criterions of specification), where too narrow, respectively too wide, specification of competitors is described, as well as their negative consequences for company activity. The difference is made between a topical and a potential competition. Main approaches to identification of topical competition are described, namely state economic ones and company ones. The second part deals with the identification of potential competitors. It gives us information about identification and specification of these competitors and about interconnected risks. Finally, the approaches that have been used to this category of competitors are criticized.

Keywords: behavior of competition, topic and potential competition, relevant competition