Ulrike Rohn: Achieving Optimal Distinctiveness: Cognitive Framing and Strategic Positioning in Media-Tech Start-ups

Ulrike discussed a paper co-authored with colleagues from Sweden, Finland, and Germany that examined how Estonian media-tech start-ups navigated their entrepreneurial journeys and strategic positioning. Drawing on strategic positioning, cognitive framing, and optimal distinctiveness theory from strategic management scholarship, the study explored how start-ups balanced conformity with differentiation to achieve competitive advantage. Using the case of an Estonian media-tech accelerator, the authors identified three cognitive framing strategies: “zooming in and out for conformity,” “keeping competitive differentiation centre-focused,” and “zooming in for differentiation from non-competitors.” These strategies enabled start-ups to dynamically position their identity, business models, and market roles by aligning with industry norms while highlighting unique value propositions. The findings underscored the pivotal role of managerial cognitive frames in navigating complex environments, fostering strategic flexibility, and sustaining competitive distinctiveness, offering valuable insights for both media management research and entrepreneurial practice.

Rohn, Ulrike; Jantunen, Ari; Maijanen, Päivi; Cestino, Joaquin; Gossel, Britta (2025, forthcoming): Achieving optimal distinctiveness: Cognitive framing and strategic positioning in media-tech start-ups. In: Journal of Media Business Studies.