If you know your business well, then you know who your competition is. And likely, so does everyone else. Acknowledging your competitors, or the counter-argument to your brand, can be a powerful way to tell your story, especially if the “other side” is well-known. 

The Importance of Competitor Research 

To connect people to your message and subsequently the products or services you sell, it’s important to know who else is vying for their attention in the space. A competitive analysis, therefore, is a step that should be taken before building out any marketing strategy. 

The goals of your competitive analysis should be to:

• Get an understanding of competitors’ products/services
• Gain insight into competitors’ sales and marketing tactics
• Be able to define competitors’ key messages 

For a deeper understanding of your industry, audience and the market, you can layer in research into the market outside of your category to understand the roles of consumer behavior, economics and social factors, and more. 

The more knowledge you have about your competitors, the more effective your campaigns and strategies will be.

Strategy 1: Counter Your Competitors

Knowing who your competitors are and what audience they intend to reach and how is the first step. The second is to dive deeper into the messaging, to understand the approach. 

Reflect on these 6 questions:

1. What is the competitor’s key message?
2. Why do their consumers accept it?
3. What does their approach lack?
4. How does your message/approach differ?
5. What makes yours good/better?
6. Why should consumers choose you?

Then, answer those questions in your marketing, preferably without naming your competition directly (unless bold is your brand or you already have the advantage). Acknowledge the competitor’s approach/messaging and why it’s appealing, especially if it’s the status quo. Then, use that framing to introduce your differentiators. Imply the answer to #3 without being explicit. Instead, illustrate your brand’s approach as a way to shine a light on what’s lacking with theirs. 

This could look something like:

Are you still drinking from single use plastic water bottles? They’re convenient, sure, but why are you paying $2 a day to pollute? It’s time to stop all the waste. Choose a reusable water bottle instead. Made with long-lasting materials, this water bottle will pay for itself in one week and be the only drink receptacle you need for years to come. And with its isolated design, you can keep your drink (and the Earth) from getting too warm. 

Or, it could look like parodying your competitors or calling them out directly in playful or snarky advertising.

Strategy 2: Praise Your Competitors

Another strategy is to engage in a positive interaction, acknowledgment or even praise of the competition. This could look like a congratulatory social media post when a competitor celebrates an anniversary or introduces a new product, or presenting consumers’ options without making digs at the other guys.

This may seem counterintuitive, but it can actually benefit your brand in several ways:

1. It can create positive associations – If your competition has high recognition or a positive reputation in the space, then creating a narrative that introduces your brand as an alternative can allow customers to see you on the same playing field, or in the same category in terms of quality. 
2. It can help consumers see your differentiators  – Even without explicitly pointing them out, inviting consumers to see you and a competitor side by side will draw out the differences between your products and services. If the consumer is the right fit for you, they may self-select after engaging with both brands.
3. It can build consumer trust – Harvard Business Review references research that examined consumers’ engagement with brands that engaged in this kind of competitor acknowledgement. “Consumers showed greater interest in buying from brands that praised their competitor,” the piece reads. “…When a brand praised its competitors, consumers reported feeling that the brand was warmer — that is, more thoughtful, kind, and trustworthy.”

The downside is that you’re giving the competitor some free positive advertising in the process, so make sure you have a solid brand message first and have built enough awareness. And who knows, with the whole “kill them with kindness” mentality, you might just pressure them to engage back.