Cultural resistance
What is Cultural resistance?
Social norms can inhibit adoption.
How Cultural resistance works
Compare acceptance across providers within the favored category. A common preference can slow category substitution while leaving rivalry between similarly acceptable suppliers intense.
The question to ask of a company
Does the preference favor this firm, all incumbents, or a product category? What evidence separates durable preference from a passing attitude?
Examples
- Illustrative scenario: Buyers prefer a familiar service format, but several providers can offer it equally well.
Who names it
| Author | What they call it / where it appears |
|---|---|
| Neumann | A Taxonomy of Moats — Cultural resistance |
Note. The diagnostic and scenario are Strategy Canon’s analytical application. Test the firm’s benefit and exclusion mechanism separately; this category alone does not establish Power.