http://www.aqute.com/competitive-analysis/
Competitive analysis of strengths and weaknesses can tell you what your competitors will do next, where they will try to undermine you and where you can hit them back. It is a compass as you navigate the competitive race.
2. Title
• Aqute gets asked fairly regularly, what are some of the questions that can be
answered about a competitor. Particularly by companies new to competitive
intelligence, who may not have an existing template. In order to help our clients and
prospects, we have put together a few of the questions that could be used to build a
competitor profile.
• This is a rough guide – the actual questions to be answered will depend on what the
client needs, the budget, the type of competitor and other factors. So these should be
considered as a starting point. We offer them in the hope that they will be of use to
competitive intelligence teams.
• This is a tactically-focused guide to colleting raw competitor information. It does not
cover assembling such data into recommendations with which the client can take
action.
3. Executive summary
• Key strengths and weaknesses of the competitor
• Competitor’s strategic priorities
• Where is the competitor headed?
• What is the competitor’s positioning?
• What are the gaps in the competitor’s product range and market targeting?
• What are the implications for attacking the competitor?
4. Strategy
• What is the competitor’s strategy and mission?
• What are the competitor’s plans for growth?
• What are the competitor’s strengths and weaknesses?
• Where can the competitor be most easily attacked?
• Where is the competitor most likely to go on the offensive?
5. Structure
• How many people does the competitor employ? How are they split across key
divisions?
• What are the office locations? How many employees work in each?
• What is the organizational structure? Which are they key divisions?
• Profiles of key executives
• To what industry associations does the competitor belong?
6. Financials
• Business model and sources of income
• Revenue and profit, by product line
• Revenue and profit, by customer segment
• Analysis of detailed balance sheet
7. Customers
• Number of customers, by segment/customer type
• Key customers and case studies
• Customer retention/renewal rates
• Customer satisfaction metrics
8. Investment
• What is the competitor’s R&D budget? How is it allocated?
• Where is the company innovating?
• What does their investment say about coming products?
• How much does the competitor invest in co-marketing and other partner spend?
9. Sales
• How does the competitor pitch its products? What is the unique sales proposition?
How does the company position itself against competitors?
• Why do customers buy the products? What do customers think about the sales pitch?
• What is the sales process like? How much is virtual vs physical meetings? How are
client references and product demos managed?
• Which executives are targeted as buyers or budget owners? Are these the right
people?
• Against whom does the competitor lose sales?
• What is the value of a typical deal? How is that negotiated? How does the competitor
sell add-on and premium services?
10. Go-to-market
• What are the company’s go-to-market messages?
• How do these messages vary by media? How much does the competitor spend on
each media channel?
• What are some examples of the creative executions used?
• Which go-to-market messages are most effective? How many customers sign up
through each channel?
• How are go-to-market messages targeted by customer segment?
• How does the competitor manage each go-to-market channel?
• Does the competitor use marketing partners? Which ones?
• What trade shows does the competitor attend?
11. Pricing
• What prices does the competitor charge?
• How are products priced e.g. per user or sitewide?
• What additional features and services are available, at what price?
• When do discounts apply?
• What contract details are tied into pricing levels e.g. length of the contract, usage
limits
• How is ROI evaluated, by the company or by customers?
• How important is price in winning pitches?
12. Product details
• What are the key products? How good are they?
• What features do they offer? How flexible is the competitor about customization?
• How are products targeted to customer segments and divisions within customers?
Which industries do the products target? Which industries and customer segments
are not targeted?
• What gaps are there in the product portfolio? What is the product roadmap?
• How are products delivered/implemented e.g. directly or by partner? Are there
additional costs? How long does delivery take?
13. Distributors
• Who are the key distributors and partners?
• How much business does each partner bring in?
• What geographies and verticals do partners cover?
• Which way does money flow between the competitor and their partners, and how
much?
• What are the criteria for being accepted as a partner? How are partners recruited?
• What training and support does the competitor offer partners?
• What do partners like and dislike about working with the competitor?
14. International
• Organizational structure, by geography. Where are international decisions made?
• Revenue and profit, by geography
• Number of customers, by geography
• Key partners and distributors, by geography; physical presence vs partner
representation
• Localization of products and services
• Go-to-market strategy and marketing spend, by geography
15. Perception
• How does the competitor view its position in the market?
• How do customers view the competitor vs other companies? What do
customers think about the company’s strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do customers buy from this company?
• Why did non-converted prospects not buy from this company?
