--- name: competitive-brief description: Research competitors and generate a positioning and messaging comparison with content gaps, opportunities, and threats. Use when building sales battlecards, when finding positioning gaps and messaging angles competitors haven't claimed, or when a competitor makes a move and you need to assess the impact. argument-hint: "" --- # Competitive Brief > If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see [CONNECTORS.md](../../CONNECTORS.md). Research competitors and generate a structured competitive analysis comparing positioning, messaging, content strategy, and market presence. ## Trigger User runs `/competitive-brief` or asks for a competitive analysis, competitor research, or market comparison. ## Inputs Gather the following from the user: 1. **Competitor name(s)** — one or more competitors to analyze (required) 2. **Your company/product context** (optional but recommended): - What you sell and to whom - Your positioning or value proposition - Key differentiators you want to highlight 3. **Focus areas** (optional — if not specified, cover all): - Messaging and positioning - Product and feature comparison - Content and thought leadership strategy - Recent announcements and news - Pricing and packaging (if publicly available) - Market presence and audience ## Research Process For each competitor, research using web search: 1. **Company website** — homepage messaging, product pages, about page, pricing page 2. **Recent news** — press releases, funding announcements, product launches, partnerships (last 6 months) 3. **Content strategy** — blog topics, resource types, social media presence, webinars, podcasts 4. **Review sites and comparisons** — third-party comparisons, analyst mentions, customer review themes 5. **Job postings** — hiring signals that indicate strategic direction (optional) ### Research Sources Gather intelligence from these categories of sources: #### Primary Sources (Direct from Competitor) - **Website**: homepage, product pages, pricing, about page, careers - **Blog and resource center**: content themes, publishing frequency, depth - **Social media profiles**: messaging, engagement, content strategy - **Product demos and free trials**: UX, features, onboarding experience - **Webinars and events**: topics, speakers, audience engagement - **Press releases and newsroom**: announcements, partnerships, milestones - **Job postings**: hiring signals that reveal strategic priorities (e.g., hiring for a new product line or market) #### Secondary Sources (Third-Party) - **Review sites**: G2, Capterra, TrustRadius, Product Hunt — customer sentiment themes - **Analyst reports**: Gartner, Forrester, IDC — market positioning and category placement - **News coverage**: TechCrunch, industry publications — funding, partnerships, narrative - **Social listening**: mentions, sentiment, share of voice across social platforms - **SEO tools**: keyword rankings, organic traffic estimates, content gaps - **Financial filings**: revenue, growth rate, investment areas (for public companies) - **Community forums**: community forums (e.g. Reddit, Discourse), industry chat groups (e.g. Slack communities) — user sentiment ### Research Cadence - **Deep competitive analysis**: quarterly (full research across all sources) - **Competitive monitoring**: monthly (scan for new announcements, content, messaging changes) - **Real-time alerts**: ongoing (set up alerts for competitor brand mentions, press, job postings) ## Competitive Brief Structure ### 1. Executive Summary - 2-3 sentence overview of the competitive landscape - Key takeaway: your biggest opportunity and biggest threat ### 2. Competitor Profiles For each competitor: #### Company Overview - What they do (one-sentence positioning) - Target audience - Company size/stage indicators (funding, employee count if available) - Key recent developments #### Messaging Analysis - Primary tagline or headline - Core value proposition - Key messaging themes (3-5) - Tone and voice characterization - How they describe the problem they solve #### Product/Solution Positioning - How they categorize their product - Key features they emphasize - Claimed differentiators - Pricing approach (if publicly available) #### Content Strategy - Blog frequency and topics - Content types produced (ebooks, webinars, case studies, tools) - Social media presence and engagement approach - Thought leadership themes - SEO strategy observations (what terms they appear to target) #### Strengths - What they do well - Where their messaging resonates - Competitive advantages #### Weaknesses - Gaps in their messaging or positioning - Areas where they are vulnerable - Customer complaints or criticism themes (from reviews) ### 3. Messaging Comparison Matrix | Dimension | Your Company | Competitor A | Competitor B | |-----------|-------------|--------------|--------------| | Primary tagline | ... | ... | ... | | Target buyer | ... | ... | ... | | Key differentiator | ... | ... | ... | | Tone/voice | ... | ... | ... | | Core value prop | ... | ... | ... | (Include user's company only if they provided their positioning context) ### 4. Content Gap Analysis - Topics your competitors cover that you do not (or vice versa) - Content formats they use that you could adopt - Keywords or themes they own vs. opportunities they have missed ### 5. Opportunities - Positioning gaps you can exploit - Messaging angles your competitors have not claimed - Audience segments they are underserving - Content or channel opportunities ### 6. Threats - Areas where competitors are strong and you are vulnerable - Trends that favor their positioning - Recent moves that could shift the market ### 7. Recommended Actions - 3-5 specific, actionable recommendations based on the analysis - Quick wins (things you can act on this week) - Strategic moves (longer-term positioning or content investments) ## Analysis Frameworks ### Messaging Comparison Frameworks #### Value Proposition Comparison For each competitor, document: - **Promise**: what they promise the customer will achieve - **Evidence**: how they prove the promise (data, testimonials, demos) - **Mechanism**: how their product delivers on the promise (the "how it works") - **Uniqueness**: what they claim only they can do #### Narrative Analysis Identify each competitor's story arc: - **Villain**: what problem or enemy they position against (status quo, legacy tools, complexity) - **Hero**: who is the hero in their story (the customer? the product? the team?) - **Transformation**: what before/after do they promise? - **Stakes**: what happens if you do not act? This reveals positioning strategy and emotional appeals. #### Messaging Strengths and Vulnerabilities For each competitor's messaging, assess: - **Clarity**: can a first-time visitor understand what they do in 5 seconds? - **Differentiation**: is their positioning distinct or generic? - **Proof**: do they back up claims with evidence? - **Consistency**: is messaging consistent across channels? - **Resonance**: does their messaging address real customer pain points? ### Content Gap Analysis Methodology #### Content Audit Comparison Map content across competitors by: | Topic/Theme | Your Content | Competitor A | Competitor B | Gap? | |-------------|-------------|--------------|--------------|------| | [Topic 1] | Blog post, ebook | Blog series, webinar | Nothing | Opportunity for B | | [Topic 2] | Nothing | Whitepaper | Blog post, video | Gap for you | | [Topic 3] | Case study | Nothing | Case study | Parity | #### Content Type Coverage | Content Format | You | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C | |----------------|-----|--------|--------|--------| | Blog posts | Y | Y | Y | Y | | Case studies | Y | Y | N | Y | | Ebooks/Whitepapers | N | Y | Y | N | | Webinars | Y | Y | Y | N | | Podcast | N | N | Y | N | | Video content | N | Y | Y | Y | | Interactive tools | N | N | N | Y | | Templates/Resources | Y | N | Y | N | #### Identifying Content Opportunities 1. **Topics they cover that you do not**: potential gaps in your content strategy 2. **Topics you cover that they do not**: potential differentiators to amplify 3. **Formats they use that you do not**: format gaps that could reach new audiences 4. **Audience segments they address that you do not**: underserved audiences 5. **Search terms they rank for that you do not**: SEO content gaps #### Content Quality Assessment - Depth: surface-level or comprehensive? - Freshness: regularly updated or stale? - Engagement: do posts get comments, shares, links? - Production value: text-only or multimedia? - Thought leadership: original insights or rehashed content? ### Positioning Strategy #### Positioning Statement Framework For your company and each competitor, define (or reverse-engineer) their positioning statement: > For [target audience], [product/company] is the [category] that [key benefit/differentiator] because [reason to believe]. Example: > For mid-market SaaS marketing teams, Acme is the campaign management platform that unifies planning and execution in one workspace because it is built on a single data model that eliminates tool fragmentation. #### Positioning Map Plot competitors on a 2x2 matrix using the two most important dimensions for your market: Common axis pairs: - **Price vs. Capability** (low cost / basic vs. premium / full-featured) - **Ease of Use vs. Power** (simple / limited vs. complex / flexible) - **SMB Focus vs. Enterprise Focus** (self-serve / individual vs. sales-led / team) - **Point Solution vs. Platform** (does one thing well vs. does many things) - **Innovative vs. Established** (new approach vs. proven track record) Identify which quadrant is underserved or where your differentiation is strongest. #### Category Strategy - **Create a new category**: if you do something genuinely different, define and own the category (high risk, high reward) - **Reframe the existing category**: change how buyers evaluate the category to favor your strengths - **Win the existing category**: compete directly on recognized criteria and out-execute - **Niche within the category**: own a specific segment, use case, or audience #### Positioning Pitfalls to Avoid - Positioning against a competitor rather than for a customer need - Claiming too many differentiators (pick 1-2 that matter most) - Using category jargon the customer does not use - Positioning on features rather than outcomes - Changing positioning too frequently (confuses the market) ### Battlecard Creation A competitive battlecard is a one-page reference for sales and marketing teams. Include: #### Header - Competitor name and logo - Last updated date - Competitive win rate (if tracked) #### Quick Overview - What they do (one sentence) - Their target customer - Pricing model summary - Key recent developments #### Their Pitch - How they describe themselves - Their primary tagline - Their top 3 claimed differentiators #### Strengths (Be Honest) - Where they genuinely compete well - What customers like about them (from reviews) - Features or capabilities where they lead #### Weaknesses - Consistent customer complaints (from reviews) - Technical limitations - Gaps in their offering - Areas where customers report dissatisfaction #### Our Differentiators - 3-5 specific ways your product or approach is different - For each: the differentiator, why it matters to the customer, and proof #### Objection Handling | If the prospect says... | Respond with... | |------------------------|----------------| | "[Competitor] does X too" | "Here is how our approach differs..." | | "[Competitor] is cheaper" | "Here is what that price difference gets you..." | | "I've heard good things about [Competitor]" | "They are strong at X. Where we differ is..." | #### Landmines to Set Questions to ask prospects early that highlight your advantages: - "How do you currently handle [area where competitor is weak]?" - "How important is [capability you have that they lack]?" - "Have you considered [risk that your product mitigates]?" #### Landmines to Defuse Questions competitors might encourage prospects to ask you, with prepared responses. #### Win/Loss Themes - Common reasons deals are won against this competitor - Common reasons deals are lost to this competitor - What types of prospects favor them vs. you #### Battlecard Maintenance - Review and update quarterly at minimum - Update immediately after major competitor announcements - Incorporate win/loss feedback from sales team - Track which objection-handling responses are most effective ## Output Present the full competitive brief with clear formatting. Note the date of the research so the user knows the freshness of the data. After the brief, ask: "Would you like me to: - Create a battlecard for your sales team based on this analysis? - Draft messaging that exploits the positioning gaps identified? - Dive deeper into any specific competitor? - Set up a competitive monitoring plan?" --- Attribution added by YourAIKit. It is not part of the upstream file. - Source: https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins/tree/main/marketing/skills/competitive-brief - Credit: Anthropic, Knowledge Work Plugins (marketing) - Upstream copy: anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins at commit 33d3dea41a341b341d4f5da2e8801ae0c89be2b8, marketing/skills/competitive-brief/SKILL.md - Copyright: held by the upstream authors credited above - License: Apache-2.0. Full text: https://youraikit.com/licenses/anthropics-knowledge-work-plugins-marketing/LICENSE - The full upstream license text (LICENSE) follows. 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