Understanding the Competition: It's Not Always Who You Think It Is

By Adrian Maynard, founder and CEO of Yo Marketing

As marketers, we dedicate significant time and effort to understanding our competitors. We dedicate countless hours each year dissecting their strategies, strengths, and weaknesses. We draw inspiration from their successes and learn from their missteps. This is all valuable, but it's important to remember that true competition often lies beyond the obvious.

Competing with User Behavior, Not Just Other Companies

I vividly remember a pivotal lesson I learned early in my career as a product manager at Intuit. We were facing fierce competition from Microsoft, who at the time was considering acquiring us because they couldn't beat us in the market. Thankfully, the deal was blocked, and Microsoft eventually discontinued its financial products.

During a meeting with Intuit's founder, Scott Cook, he made a statement that has stuck with me ever since: "We're not competing with Microsoft, we're competing with a pen and a checkbook. Let Microsoft compete with us."

What he meant was profound: our true competition isn't just other companies; it's the ingrained habits and behaviors of our customers. We need to understand their needs, pain points, and preferences on a deep level and offer solutions that seamlessly fit into their lives.

Design for Your User, Not Just Your Ego

This principle applies to everything we do in marketing, from product development to brand building. Just because you like something doesn't mean your customers will. And just because the competition is doing something doesn't make it the right approach for you.

The key is to always design with the user in mind. Conduct thorough market research, gather customer feedback, and test your assumptions. Don't be afraid to challenge the status quo and innovate, but always make sure your solutions are rooted in a deep understanding of your target audience.

Yo Marketing Can Help

At Yo Marketing, we specialize in helping businesses develop customer-centric product and go-to-market strategies. We can assist you in conducting in-depth market research, identifying your ideal customer profile, and crafting messaging that resonates with your target audience.

Remember, the competition landscape is constantly evolving. By focusing on user behavior and designing with their needs in mind, you can stay ahead of the curve and achieve lasting success.

Let's work together to uncover your true competition and create solutions that truly matter to your customers.

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Understanding the Competition: It's Not Always Who You Think It Is

Competing with User Behavior, Not Just Other Companies

Design for Your User, Not Just Your Ego

Yo Marketing Can Help

Subscribe to Yo! Marketer

A CMO's Guide: Developing a Winning Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy

The Unseen Culprit Behind Slumping B2B Sales: Has Automation Gone Too Far?

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