these are runner-up companies who choose to follow rather than challenge the market leader. These firms seek stable market shares and profits by simply following competitor’s product offers, prices, and marketing programs. They may follow closely or at a distance or they may follow closely in some ways and sometimes go their own ways. The market follower’s goal is to keep current customers and to attract a fair share of new ones without drawing retaliation from the market leader or other companies. Many market followers are more profitable than the leaders in their industries.