Simplify by removing parentheses​ and, if​ possible, combini…

Questions

Simplify by remоving pаrentheses​ аnd, if​ pоssible, cоmbining like terms.

Cоcа-Cоlа аnd Pepsi have cоmpeted aggressively for decades through advertising, promotions, new products, pricing, and distribution. Their competition has forced both companies to invest enormous amounts of money to maintain their positions in the market. Over time, these investments have created strong consumer recognition and extensive relationships with retailers, restaurants, and bottlers. A company entering the market would therefore need to spend heavily just to gain enough attention from consumers. It would also need to convince retailers and other distribution partners to give its products access to customers. Even if a newcomer developed a successful product, Coca-Cola and Pepsi could respond quickly with their own products, promotions, or advertising campaigns. This possibility makes it more difficult for a new company to predict whether it could earn enough revenue to recover its initial investment. As a result, the intense competition between the established companies raises the resources and risk associated with entering the market. In this way, actions taken to compete with each other can indirectly make the market less attractive to potential newcomers. The companies are therefore not simply competing for existing customers; their accumulated investments and responses to each other also shape the conditions faced by companies considering entering the market.Which of the following best describes the strategic implication inferred from the paragraph?