How to do a competitive marketing analysis

A competitive marketing analysis is to examine the strategies and performance of companies that share your market. It helps you understand the positioning of your competitors and identify the opportunities to stand out. For example, by studying the income generated in your sector , you can spot market leaders and analyze current trends. This information allows you to anticipate market development and better meet consumer expectations. A well -conducted analysis can also increase your market share, strengthen your competitive advantage and attract more customers.

Key points of a competitive marketing analysis

• Competitive marketing analysis makes it possible to understand what your rivals do and to find ideas to be different.

• Find your competitors close and distant to better know your market.

• Gather reliable information from several sources to guide your choices.

• Study the strengths of your rivals to see how you can stand out.

• Often monitor your competitors to predict their actions and improve your plan.

Understanding competitive marketing analysis

Definition and objectives of a competitive marketing analysis

Competitive marketing analysis is to examine the strategies, strengths and weaknesses of your competitors. It helps you understand their positioning on the market and identify the opportunities to stand out. The main objective is to collect relevant information to make informed decisions. This includes the evaluation of market share, prices, advertising campaigns and customer feedback.

To clearly define the objectives of a competitive analysis, it is essential to rely on reliable and well structured data. Here is a painting that illustrates the good practices to follow:

By following these good practices, you can avoid current errors and maximize the impact of your analysis.

Why is it essential a competitive marketing analysis?

Marketing competitive analysis plays a key role in developing your marketing strategy. It allows you to better understand the expectations of consumers and to adapt your offer accordingly. For example, a sports brand used social data to reposition its discourse around inclusiveness. This change led to an increase of +40 % of organic engagement .

By studying your competitors, you identify their weak points and use these shortcomings to differentiate yourself. You can also anticipate market trends and adjust your strategy before your rivals. This strengthens your positioning and improves your competitiveness.

In summary, a well -led marketing competitive analysis gives you a strategic advantage. It helps you remain relevant in a constantly evolving market.

Steps to carry out a competitive marketing analysis

Identify its direct and indirect competitors

To start a competitive analysis, you must direct and indirect competitors Direct competitors are those that offer products or services similar to yours and target the same customers. Indirect competitors, on the other hand, offer alternative solutions that meet the same needs. For example, an electric bike company could consider manufacturers of electric scooters as indirect competitors.

To effectively identify your competitors, you can base yourself on several key indicators:

• Turnover

• Market share

• Customer satisfaction

These criteria allow you to better understand who influences your market and how they position themselves. Once this step has been made, you will have a clear vision of the competitive environment in which you evolve.

Collect relevant data

Once your competitors have been identified, it is essential to collect reliable data to feed your analysis. Several sources can provide you with valuable information:

• INSEE : Socio-economic data such as average income and consumption habits.

• Eurostat : cyclical indicators such as GDP per capita.

• Banque de France : Economic indicators to anticipate demand cycles.

• Base request for land values : assessment of purchasing power and residential dynamics.

• INSEE professional mobility : analysis of customer journeys to optimize your points of sale.

• Chronological series of sectoral consumption : identification of growing niches or declining segments.

• Bpifrance and INPI : information on regulatory watch and investments.

Using these resources, you can collect quantitative and qualitative data that will help you better understand your competitors and the market. This information is essential to structure your analysis and guide your strategic decisions.

Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of competitors

Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors allows you to better understand their strengths and vulnerabilities. This step is crucial to identifying differentiation opportunities. For example, if a competitor excels in customer service but offers high prices, you could position yourself as a more affordable alternative while maintaining a competitive quality of service.

Here is a painting that illustrates the benefits of this step in a marketing strategy:

By studying the forces of your competitors, you can take inspiration from their best practices. By analyzing their weaknesses, you identify shortcomings to exploit to stand out. This approach helps you build a more robust marketing strategy adapted to your market.

Evaluate its own positioning and competitive advantage

To succeed in a competitive market, you must assess your positioning and identify what distinguishes you from your competitors. This step helps you understand how your business is perceived by your customers and to determine if your offer effectively meets their expectations.

1. Analyze your value proposal

Start by examining your value proposal. Ask yourself key questions:

• What problems do you solve for your customers?

• How is your product or service unique?

• Why do your customers choose you rather than a competitor?

A proposal for a clear and convincing value is essential to attract and retain your customers. If you have trouble answering these questions, it may be useful to collect direct feedback from your customers via surveys or interviews.

💡 Tip : Compare your value proposal with that of your competitors. Identify the elements that differentiate you and put them forward in your communication.

2. Assess your performance on the market

To assess your positioning, analyze your performance using concrete data. Here are some key indicators to examine:

• Market share : What is your place compared to your competitors?

• Customer satisfaction : Are your customers satisfied with your offer?

• Loyalty rate : How many customers come back to buy again?

These data allow you to measure your impact on the market and identify the areas to be improved. For example, if your loyalty rate is low, this may indicate a problem of customer satisfaction or quality of service.

3. Identify your competitive advantages

A competitive advantage is what makes you unique and difficult to imitate. This may include:

• Innovative technology.

• Exceptional customer service.

• Competitive prices.

• A strong brand image.

To identify your advantages, compare your strengths with the weaknesses of your competitors. For example, if your competitors have long delivery times, you can stand out by offering fast and reliable delivery.

🔍 Note : Your competitive advantage must be durable. Avoid resting only on easily copiable elements, such as a temporary promotion.

4. Adjust your strategy according to the results

Once your positioning and advantages have been identified, use this information to adjust your strategy. If you discover that your communication does not highlight your strengths enough, review your marketing messages. If your prices are not competitive, consider revising your pricing policy.

The assessment of your positioning is a continuous process. The market is evolving, as is consumer expectations. By integrating this step into your competitive analysis, you remain agile and ready to respond to changes.

Tools for effective marketing competitive analysis

Competitive monitoring tools (eg Semrush, Similarweb)

Competitive monitoring tools play a crucial role in competitive marketing analysis. They allow you to monitor the performance of your competitors, identify their strategies and identify opportunities to improve your positioning. Among the most popular tools are Semrush, Similarweb, and Ahrefs. These platforms offer various features, such as keyword analysis, monitoring backlinks, or web traffic evaluation.

Here is a comparative table to help you choose the tool that best suits your needs:

💡 Tip : If you start, favor tools like Ubersuggest which offer freemium options. This will allow you to test their features before investing in a paid version.

These tools help you collect specific data and monitor your competitors in real time. By using them, you can refine your marketing strategies and stay competitive.

Competitive marketing competitive analysis of competitors' social networks

Social networks are a gold mine to understand the strategies of your competitors. By analyzing their publications, you can identify the types of content that generate the most commitment, the hashtags they use, and the feedback from their community. This allows you to identify trends and adjust your own strategy.

To conduct this analysis, follow these steps:

1. Identify key platforms : determine where your competitors are the most active (Instagram, Linkedin, Tiktok, etc.).

2. Analyze their content : note the formats they favor (videos, car arts, stories) and the subjects they approach.

3. Evaluate their commitment : observe the number of likes, comments and sharing to understand what works.

4. Monitor their community : study user feedback to identify their expectations and frustrations.

🔍 Note : Tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social can help you automate this competitive marketing analysis and obtain detailed reports.

By studying the social networks of your competitors, you can not only take inspiration from their good practices, but also identify opportunities to stand out.

Market studies and consumer surveys

Market studies and consumer surveys are essential to understand the expectations of your target audience. They allow you to identify unmet needs, monitoring emerging trends, and assessing the impact of your competitors' strategies.

Here are some key to market studies:

• They reveal customer needs and preferences, helping you develop suitable products.

• They highlight trends such as sustainable fashion, allowing you to attract consumers concerned with the environment.

• They identify the gaps on the market, offering you opportunities to surpass your competitors.

To conduct an effective study, use tools like Google Forms or Surveymonkey to create surveys. Ask simple and direct questions:

• What products or services are missing on the market?

• What are your main frustrations with current offers?

• What criteria influence your purchasing decisions?

💡 Tip : Combine the results of your surveys with sectoral data from sources such as INSEE or Eurostat to obtain a complete vision of the market.

By integrating this information into your competitive marketing analysis, you can adjust your strategy to better meet your customers' expectations and strengthen your position on the market.

Analysis of websites and advertising campaigns for competitors

To understand the digital strategy of your competitors, you must analyze their websites and their advertising campaigns. These elements reveal their way of attracting customers, promoting their products and positioning themselves on the market. By studying these aspects, you can identify opportunities to improve your own strategy.

1. Assess the websites of competitors

Start by examining the websites of your rivals. These platforms are often a reflection of their global strategy. Here are some key points to analyze:

• Design and ergonomics : Is the site easy to navigate? Are the visuals attractive?

• Contents : What types of content do they publish? Blog articles, videos, or case studies?

• SEO : What keywords do they use to position themselves in search engines?

• Calls for action (CTA) : How do they encourage visitors to act (buy, register, etc.)?

💡 Tip : Use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to analyze SEO performance of their sites. This allows you to discover the keywords that generate the most traffic.

By studying these elements, you can identify the good practices to adopt and the errors to avoid. For example, if a competitor neglects the SEO, you can take advantage of it to improve your online visibility.

2. Analyze their advertising campaigns

Competitors' advertising campaigns provide valuable information on their priorities and strategies. Here are some digital indicators that attest to their impact:

• Increase in sales of 40 % for a customer in the small household appliances.

• Increase in the average basket of 2 euros for a cheese interprofession.

• Use of the Return on Ad Spend (I-Roas) to measure the real efficiency of the campaigns.

These data show how advertisements directly influence commercial performance. To analyze these campaigns, follow these steps:

1. Identify the platforms used : Study if your competitors favor Google ADS, Facebook ADS, or other channels.

2. Examine the advertising formats : note if they use videos, banners, or text ads.

3. Analyze key messages : what arguments do they put forward to convince their audience?

4. Monitor promotions : Locate the special offers or the discounts they offer.

🔍 Note : Tools like Similarweb or Adbeat can help you monitor your competitors' advertising campaigns and obtain detailed insights.

3. Compare their performance with yours

Once the competitive marketing analysis is completed, compare the results obtained with your own performance. Ask yourself essential questions:

• Do your campaigns generate as much commitment as those of your competitors?

• Is your website so attractive and functional?

• Are your advertising messages also impactful?

If you identify differences, adjust your strategy to fill these shortcomings. For example, if your competitors use advertising videos that generate a lot of commitment, plan to integrate this format into your campaigns.

By studying the websites and advertising campaigns of your competitors, you get a clear vision of their strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to strengthen your own strategy and better meet the expectations of your audience.

Exploit the results of the competitive marketing analysis

Identify differentiation opportunities

A well -conducted marketing competitive analysis allows you to identify unique opportunities to stand out. Observe the weaknesses of your competitors and reflect on innovative solutions to meet the unsatisfied needs of customers. For example, if a competitor offers a quick service but lack of personalization, you can position yourself as an alternative more attentive to individual needs.

To identify these opportunities, ask yourself the right questions:

• What market segments are neglected?

• What customer needs remain dissatisfied?

• How can you offer added value?

💡 Tip : use consumer feedback to understand what they are looking for and what they lack. This will guide you in creating a differentiated offer.

Adjust your marketing strategy for a competitive marketing analysis

Once the opportunities have been identified, adapts your marketing strategy to better meet market expectations. Put forward your strengths and adjust your messages so that they reflect your single value proposal. For example, if your advantage lies in a competitive price, clearly communicates this asset in your advertising campaigns.

Here are some concrete actions to adjust your strategy:

1. Review your communication channels to effectively touch your target.

2. Optimizes your content to put forward your competitive advantages.

3. Launches promotions or special offers to attract new customers .

🔍 Note : A flexible marketing strategy allows you to quickly adapt to market developments and remain competitive.

Optimize its positioning on the market

To strengthen your place on the market, it is essential to optimize your positioning. Analysis of customer feedback and the performance of your campaigns to adjust your offer. For example, if your competitors dominate a specific segment, explores less saturated niches where you can excel.

Here are some steps to optimize your positioning:

• Highlight your competitive advantage in all your communications.

• Improves the customer experience to retain your customers.

• Regularly monitors market trends to anticipate changes.

💬 Reminder : Your positioning must reflect what makes you unique and meet the expectations of your target. This will allow you to consolidate your reputation and attract more customers.

Set up regular monitoring of competitors

To stay competitive, you must regularly monitor your competitors. This follow -up allows you to anticipate their movements and adjust your strategy accordingly. Here's how to set up an effective system.

1. Create a list of competitors to monitor

Identifies the most relevant companies in your sector. Classify them in two categories:

• Direct competitors : those who target the same customers with similar products.

• Indirect competitors : those who offer alternatives to your offer.

💡 Tip : update this list every six months to include new players or withdraw those who are no longer active.

2. Use watch tools

Automatizes your follow -up with suitable tools. Here are some options:

• Google Alerts : Configuring alerts to receive notifications on the mentions of your competitors.

• Feedly : brings together the news and publications of their blogs.

• Mention : Monitor their presence on social networks.

These tools allow you to save time and stay informed in real time.

3. Analysis the data collected

Don't just collect information. Analyze them to identify strategic trends or changes. For example, if a competitor is launching a new advertising campaign, assesses its impact on the market.

🔍 Note : Plan a monthly review to synthesize the data and adjust your actions.

4. Involve your team

Share the results of your follow -up with your team. Organizes meetings to discuss implications and opportunities. Active collaboration strengthens your capacity to react quickly.

By setting up regular follow -up, you always remain a step forward. This gives you a lasting strategic advantage.

A successful marketing competitive analysis is based on key steps: identify your competitors, collect relevant data, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and assess your own positioning. These actions allow you to better understand your market and identify differentiation opportunities. For example, 70 % of companies find an improvement in their results thanks to a multi -channel strategy, while 44 % increase their advertising budget to maximize their digital impact.

To stay competitive, adopt a continuous approach. The market is changing quickly: 64 % of Google searches are now done via mobile, and 90 % of organic clicks come from the first page of the results. By regularly monitoring your competitors and adjusting your strategy, you can anticipate trends and effectively meet your customers' expectations.

Apply these tips today to optimize your marketing competitive analysis strategy and strengthen your position on the market. A rigorous competitive analysis is your best asset to stay in the lead.

How to do a competitive marketing analysis?

Expert references and credible studies

Studies and data

• Harvard Business Review (2023): "Companies carrying out a competitive quarterly marketing analysis are 2.4 times more likely to surpass their competitors" link to the study

• McKinsey & Company (2024): "Automated Swot analysis reduces market study times by 60%" Source

• Gartner (2023): "72% of marketing directors now use AI for their competitive monitoring" See the report

Recognized experts in competitive marketing analysis

• Philip Kotler (father of modern marketing): "Marketing competitive analysis is not an option, it is a need for survival" exclusive interview

• Neil Patel (Digital Marketing Expert): "My free tools like Ubersuggest provide 80% of the data necessary for good competitive analysis" article

• Mary Meeker (partner at Bond Capital): "Competitive benchmarks are the compass of tech startups" Internet Trends 2023 report

Detailed testimonies of competitive marketing competitive analysis experts

1. Pierre Dubois, CEO of a SaaS scale-up :
   “By systematically analyzing the pricing pages of 5 competitors via Hotjar, we optimized our pricing grid and increased our conversions by 35% in 3 months. »Complete testimony

2. Sophie Martin, B2B marketing manager :
   “Our revisited BCG matrix revealed to us an under-exploited competitive marketing competitive analysis segment, generating € 1.2 million in additional turnover. »Detailed customer case

Personal stories and case studies on competitive marketing analysis

Tesla vs traditional automobiles
A competitive analysis in -depth marketing of the annual reports of Tesla shows how their study of the weaknesses of traditional dealerships made it possible to revolutionize direct sale. Study

Personal experience at L'Oréal
“by mapping the Share of Voice Digital of 12 competitors over 18 months, we identified an opportunity in the Tiktok video content, capturing 23% additional market. »Internal publication L'Oréal

User experiences of competitive marketing analysis

1. Thomas, founder Startup Foodtech :
   “The analysis of the competitive keywords with SEMRUSH allowed us to discover 152 requests not exploited by our direct competitors. »Post Linkedin

2. Airbnb/Booking comparative analysis
   A 6 -month study on the content marketing strategies of the two giants reveals radically different approaches in experiential marketing. HEC Paris case study

Academic sources in competitive marketing competitive analysis

• Journal of Marketing Research (2023): "The impact of positioning matrices on strategic decisions" Study link

• Stanford Graduate School of Business: "Analysis of competitive differences in industries with high disruption"

Testimonials of user of competitive marketing

1. Marie, CMO Retail :
   “Our quarterly benchmark of competing promotions saves us € 300k per year in ineffective marketing. »RetailTech interview

2. Alex, E-commerce entrepreneur :
   “The analysis of Amazon product sheets of our 3 main competitors has boosted our conversions by 22%. »Podcast Ecom Nation

3. Dr. Zhang, Pharma sector analyst :
   “Our competitive intelligence reports have reduced our new drugs by 8 months. »Publication Pharma Journal

4. Sarah, Luxury brand manager :
   “Social Listening revealed to us how our competitors better exploited micro-influencers. »Luxury study Research

5. David, PME consultant :
   “A simple analysis of the Google reviews of our competitors gave us 47 customer improvement ideas. » Forbes article

Stories and anecdotes on a competitive marketing analysis

1. Netflix vs Blockbuster
   The analysis of the faults of the blockbuster “late fees” model was crucial in Netflix's strategy. Harvard Business Case

2. Dyson and the analysis of
   5 years of study of competing patents led to the key technological development of Dyson. BBC report

3. Nike vs adidas on Instagram
   The pixel analysis by Pixel of Instagram posts has revealed fundamental differences in content strategies. Social study

4. The war of supermarkets
   The weekly analysis of promotional circulars has enabled Carrefour to develop its pricing algorithm. Article Les Echos

5. Uber and the analysis of waiting times
   The constant benchmarking of competitive response times has shaped the Uber user experience. Techcrunch analysis

Strategic segmentation: Marketing competitive analysis

marketing
competitive analysis [data collection] → [segmentation] → [Swot analysis] → [positioning] → [action plan] → [KPI monitoring]

Questions/answers on competitive marketing analysis

What are the essential tools for a competitive marketing analysis?
The tools vary as needed: SEMRUSH for SEO, Similarweb for traffic, Owler for business information, and pencil for AI. Complete tool guide

How to analyze competitors without budget?
Use free tools: Google Alerts, Ubersuggest, public reports, and manual analysis of social networks. Detailed method

What frequency for competitive marketing competitive analysis?
Quarterly for major analyzes, monthly for key indicators, and in real time for certain sectors such as tech. Gartner study

How to measure the effectiveness of its competitive marketing analysis?
By evolution of your market share, the rate of relative growth, and the king of actions inspired by the analysis. MCKINSEY model

What errors to avoid in competitive marketing analysis?

1. Focus only on major competitors

2. Neglect the analysis of new entrants

3. Forget to regularly update the
   article forbes on errors

How to analyze indirect competitors?
By studying the alternatives that your customers consider, even in other industries. "Jobs to be" method. Harvard Business Review

What indicators should be given priority for a competitive marketing analysis?
Share of Voice, engagement rate, price positioning, market share, and customer satisfaction. Complete KPI guide

How to protect your data from a competitive marketing analysis?
By opposite monitoring, control of public information, and controlled disinformation strategies. White Paper Deloitte

Will AI replace competitive human marketing analysis?
No, it increases it. AI processes the data, but the human interprets and makes strategic decisions. Sloan study

How to train your team in competitive marketing analysis?
By certifying (SCIP) training, practical workshops, and the progressive use of tools. Certification program

FAQ on competitive marketing analysis

How to identify my main competitors?

To identify your competitors, analyze companies that target the same customers with similar products. Use tools like Google Maps or LinkedIn to locate local players and market leaders. Also examine customer reviews to understand their impact.

What tools are the most useful for a competitive marketing analysis?

Tools like Semrush and Similarweb allow you to monitor the performance of your competitors. Google Alerts is ideal for monitoring their news. If you start, favors freemium options like Ubersuggest to test their features without investing immediately.

How often should I update my competitive marketing analysis?

You should update your analysis every six months. This allows you to follow market developments and new strategies of competitors. If your sector is very dynamic, envisages quarterly follow -up to remain competitive.

How to use the results of my analysis?

Use the results to adjust your marketing strategy . Put forward your competitive advantages in your campaigns. If you spot gaps at your competitors, offers innovative solutions to meet the unsatisfied customer needs.

Is it necessary to monitor the social networks of competitors?

Yes, social networks reveal their strategies and their community commitment. Analyze their publications to identify popular formats and subjects that interest their audience. It helps you to adapt your content and better meet the expectations of your target.

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