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Competitive dynamics research suggests that as the contact between rivals across markets increases, their rivalries become less intense. As such, aggressive actions, such as market entry, should be suppressed at high levels of multimarket contact. However, in contrast to current theory, some market entries still occur even at high levels of multimarket contact. We suggest that for those entries, firms plan their entry so as not to appear aggressive. This is accomplished by obtaining a relatively small share of the market. The results of 240 product market entries by 57 firms support this assertion. This study offers empirical support for the multipoint competition theory and offers practical advice on how best to enter markets in light of one's rivals present in those markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]