Combining the concepts of benchmarking and matrix game in marketing (re)positioning of seaports

This paper considers the effects of the combination of two different approaches in developing the seaports positioning strategy. The first one is based on comparing the most important quantitative and qualitative seaports choice criteria by the benchmarking method. Benchmarking has been used in creating the appropriate model for efficient marketing positioning of Aegean, Adriatic and Black Sea seaports. The criteria that describe the competitiveness degree of these seaports have been chosen upon the investigation of ports customers' preferences. The second employed approach based on the matrix game concept has been used for the purpose of optimal repositioning of the ports. However, nine selected ports' functions are treated in such a way that they are divided into two sets: one composed of the functions which are to be developed, and the other consisting of the functions which are expected to be suppressed in the future. According to the numerically obtained results the ports are repositioned, and corresponding explanations are given in the marketing manner. The mixture of these two concepts should contribute to the review of the state of these business systems and their images on the market, as well as to open prospective toward finding out the ways of creating and maintaining their competitive advantages.