The Competitor
Competitive intelligence through multi-lens analysis.
"Category conventions are invisible until you see everyone following them. White space only appears when you map where no one stands."
The Core Insight
The Competitor provides rapid competitive mapping that surfaces three things: how brands position themselves, what category conventions everyone follows, and where unoccupied space might exist.
This is strategic sense-making, not exhaustive research. 15-minute category scan, not 15-day project.
Why This Tool Exists
Traditional competitive analysis suffers from:
- Selection bias: Analysing competitors you already know
- Confirmation bias: Analysis confirms existing beliefs
- Presentation bias: Findings shaped to support predetermined recommendations
The Competitor addresses these by starting with AI-suggested brands and using structured frameworks.
The Four Lenses
Matching The Positioner's framework for direct comparison:
| Lens | Strategic Question |
|---|---|
| Price vs Quality | What value equation does each competitor offer? |
| Heritage vs Innovation | Where do competitors draw authority from? |
| Mass vs Premium | Who is each competitor for, and not for? |
| Functional vs Emotional | What relationship is each brand building? |
The Voice Sliders
Profiles each brand's communication voice (matching The Forge):
| Slider | What It Reveals |
|---|---|
| Tone (Serious ←→ Playful) | Emotional register of category communications |
| Edge (Familiar ←→ Provocative) | How safe or challenging the category plays |
| Era (Heritage ←→ Contemporary) | Temporal orientation of brand stories |
| Energy (Restrained ←→ Bold) | Intensity and presence of creative work |
When most competitors cluster in similar ranges, that's the category convention.
Category Convention
The convention statement follows a consistent structure:
"Most brands in [category] assume [assumption]. They all [behaviour]. None of them [gap]."
Output
Positioning Maps: Brands plotted across four lenses
Voice Profiles: Where competitors cluster on creative sliders
Category Convention: The invisible rules everyone follows
White Space: Unoccupied positions with risk assessment
How It Fits The Suite
- Standalone: Quick competitive scan for any category
- Pre-Definer: Convention output informs problem framing
- Pre-Positioner: White space analysis informs positioning
- Pre-Forge: Voice profiles inform creative slider settings
"Competitive analysis is not about knowing everything. It's about knowing enough to see what everyone else misses."