In part one of our series, we learned the importance of either doing different activities from competitors - or - doing the same activities but in a different way. You may have seen some activities your business does better or more efficiently than competitors. In the article by Porter, he uses examples of how Southwest and Ikea operate differently from their competitors in their respective industries which gives them a unique and difficult-to-replicate position. 

To use an example of a company using CSR in a strategic manner, lets look at Swedish global hygiene and forest products company SCA (Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget).  SCA owns Europe's largest private forest which has become one of their main resources and they have been recognized for their highly responsible forestry practices. Due to this, SCA has more effective operations in comparison to their competitors in this capacity. Although it may be difficult for SCA competitors to replicate and purchase 2.6 million hectares of forest near their production facilities, owning the forest is not a strategy it only moves SCA closer to the productivity frontier. What makes it a sustainable competitive advantage is incorporating it into several other tactics within the company to create a strategic position.

Porter claims that strategic positioning uses three tactics: variety-based positioning, needs-based positioning, and access-based positioning. Lets see what these tactics are and how you can use it when for your CSR program.