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Cutting Through the Noise: Differentiation Strategy Development in Entrepreneurial Apparel E-commerce Ventures

Martins, Inês LU and Bresser, Femke Margaretha LU (2025) ENTN19 20251
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
Early-stage apparel e-commerce ventures frequently struggle to achieve visibility in saturated digital markets with high degrees of societal noise. Hence, this thesis employs the Gioia (2013) methodology to conduct a qualitative multiple-case study in order to explore how resource-constrained entrepreneurs strategically respond to this challenge. The central research question addresses how early-stage ventures develop and implement differentiation strategies that sustain visibility within noisy, saturated environments. The empirical analysis reveals four aggregate dimensions: (1) Identity-Driven Market Positioning, (2) Resource-Constrained Innovation, (3) Entrepreneurial Emotion, and (4) Adaptive Resilience. This thesis builds on Porter’s... (More)
Early-stage apparel e-commerce ventures frequently struggle to achieve visibility in saturated digital markets with high degrees of societal noise. Hence, this thesis employs the Gioia (2013) methodology to conduct a qualitative multiple-case study in order to explore how resource-constrained entrepreneurs strategically respond to this challenge. The central research question addresses how early-stage ventures develop and implement differentiation strategies that sustain visibility within noisy, saturated environments. The empirical analysis reveals four aggregate dimensions: (1) Identity-Driven Market Positioning, (2) Resource-Constrained Innovation, (3) Entrepreneurial Emotion, and (4) Adaptive Resilience. This thesis builds on Porter’s (1980) competitive strategy framework and D’Aveni’s (1994) concept of hypercompetition, both of which demonstrate that a unique selling point is not sufficient for entrepreneurial success and that, instead, continuous adaptation grounded in emotional insights is crucial. While our findings reinforce these theories, they also reveal that sustaining visibility demands the creation of a strong and authentic brand identity, potentially augmented by digital tools and Artificial Intelligence. Therefore, this thesis contributes to the theories of competitive strategy (Porter, 1980), hypercompetition (D’Aveni, 1994), and effectuation (Sarasvathy, 2001) by illustrating how societal noise influences the ways in which early-stage entrepreneurs identify opportunities, drive innovation, and make strategic decisions in saturated digital markets. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Martins, Inês LU and Bresser, Femke Margaretha LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
How do entrepreneurial ventures in saturated apparel e-commerce markets develop and implement effective differentiation strategies to cut through market noise?
course
ENTN19 20251
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Apparel e-Commerce, Digital Market Saturation, Small Ventures, Strategic Differentiation
language
English
id
9206948
date added to LUP
2025-07-01 08:36:22
date last changed
2025-07-01 08:36:22
@misc{9206948,
  abstract     = {{Early-stage apparel e-commerce ventures frequently struggle to achieve visibility in saturated digital markets with high degrees of societal noise. Hence, this thesis employs the Gioia (2013) methodology to conduct a qualitative multiple-case study in order to explore how resource-constrained entrepreneurs strategically respond to this challenge. The central research question addresses how early-stage ventures develop and implement differentiation strategies that sustain visibility within noisy, saturated environments. The empirical analysis reveals four aggregate dimensions: (1) Identity-Driven Market Positioning, (2) Resource-Constrained Innovation, (3) Entrepreneurial Emotion, and (4) Adaptive Resilience. This thesis builds on Porter’s (1980) competitive strategy framework and D’Aveni’s (1994) concept of hypercompetition, both of which demonstrate that a unique selling point is not sufficient for entrepreneurial success and that, instead, continuous adaptation grounded in emotional insights is crucial. While our findings reinforce these theories, they also reveal that sustaining visibility demands the creation of a strong and authentic brand identity, potentially augmented by digital tools and Artificial Intelligence. Therefore, this thesis contributes to the theories of competitive strategy (Porter, 1980), hypercompetition (D’Aveni, 1994), and effectuation (Sarasvathy, 2001) by illustrating how societal noise influences the ways in which early-stage entrepreneurs identify opportunities, drive innovation, and make strategic decisions in saturated digital markets.}},
  author       = {{Martins, Inês and Bresser, Femke Margaretha}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Cutting Through the Noise: Differentiation Strategy Development in Entrepreneurial Apparel E-commerce Ventures}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}