When we talk to CEO’s and marketing & sales directors about competition, we often feel they are most worried about their closest competitors. Competitors that do exactly the same stuff as they do. Virtually every company gathers loads of information on direct competitors.
At first sight, there is nothing wrong with that. Following up on what your main competitors do is just fine. But only “just” fine, because it is the Olympic minimum. You will hardly find out more than the things you already knew. In the first place, it will give you a good understanding of what decisions or actions brought other players to the point where they are today. Secondly, it may help you to see your assumptions being confirmed. In other words, you are looking into data of the past. Whereas the future of your company is… ahead of you. In the future. Exactly.
Stop focussing on the competition you know
Why? Because analyzing the past and analyzing the things you are more or less aware of, will in no way show you your competitors’ next steps.
Waar is de tijd van de steeds fout opgeplooide Michelinkaarten die overal in de auto rondslingerden? Ik had er ontelbaar veel. Zoveel dat ik ze op een zeker ogenblik netjes moest sorteren in een bakje in de koffer van mijn auto omdat het handschoenkastje veel te klein werd.
“Word of mouth”: nieuw of van alle tijden?
De wereld is veranderd, het digitale tijdperk is een feit, en er zijn uiteraard wel voldoende experten in domeinen zoals bijvoorbeeld SEO of mobile marketing, maar er is zo goed als niemand die zich expert mag noemen in de transformatie die de digitale revolutie met zich meebrengt. Daarvoor is het gegeven te nieuw.