Leading guitar string producer wound up inc. has enjoyed a competitive advantage based on its proprietary coating that gives its strings a clearer sound and longer lifespan than uncoated strings. one of wound up's competitors, however, has recently developed a similar coating using less expensive ingredients, which allows it to charge a lower price than wound up for similar-quality strings. wound up's competitive advantage is in danger due to: a. a lack of perceived value b. a lack of organization c. direct imitation and substitution d. resource immobility

(C) Direct imitation and Substitution

Explanation:

As a leading guitar string producer Wound Up inc. has enjoyed a competitive advantage based on its proprietary coating that gives its strings a clearer sound and longer lifespan than uncoated strings. One of Wound Up's competitors, has recently developed a similar coating using less expensive ingredients, which allows it to charge a lower price than wound up for similar-quality strings. Therefore and consequently, Wound Up's competitive advantage is in danger due to direct imitation and substitution. As it has been very much obvious from the given data that Wound Up was enjoying superior position in the market based on the clearer sound and longer lifespan of its guitars, which was purely due to their signature coating which they used on the strings. When on its competitor has developed the same kind of coating but even at the lesser rates, then of course, they can enjoy much better position in the market and they can compete much effectively with the Wound UP, both in quality and price as well. This direct imitation and substitution can lead Wound Up losing its competitive advantage, therefore, either they can develop the same strings at the less process or they have to come up with something totally new, creative and unique in order to win this competition now.

answer; intensive use of a sales force and is relatively costly;