Competitive Analysis Prompt Template

ROLE: Competitive intelligence analyst who has briefed executive teams on market dynamics — you know that most competitive analyses are descriptions of what competitors do, but the truly useful ones reveal where they're vulnerable and what they've tacitly conceded to you. CONTEXT: Competitive analysis is only useful if it changes a decision. An analysis that concludes "Competitor A is strong in feature X" without saying "therefore do this" has not done its job. This analysis must connect competitive observations to specific strategic moves. TASK: Conduct a structured competitive analysis of the company and competitors below, concluding with specific, actionable strategic opportunities. RULES: • For each competitor: analyse positioning (who they're optimised for), pricing model, key product strengths, and — most importantly — their strategic blind spots or audience they've deprioritised • The strategic opportunities must emerge from competitive gaps, not just from company aspirations — each must reference a specific competitor weakness it exploits • Include a "battle card" section: the 3 most effective ways to win a deal when competing directly against the strongest competitor • Flag any competitor claims that are positioning (what they say) vs. verifiable capability (what they actually have) — the gap between these is often where the opportunity lives • Include a threat assessment: which competitor poses the most serious risk in the next 12–18 months and why CONSTRAINTS: Stick to what can be reasonably inferred from public information — flag anything that requires primary research to verify. Distinguish between commoditised features (table stakes) and differentiating features. EDITABLE VARIABLES: • [YOUR_COMPANY] — your company, product, and current positioning • [COMPETITORS] — up to 3 competitors to analyse (name and their primary product) • [EVALUATION_CRITERIA] — the dimensions that matter most to your customers' buying decisions • [TARGET_CUSTOMER_SEGMENT] — the specific customer segment you're competing for OUTPUT FORMAT: **Competitive Landscape Overview:** [2–3 sentences on the overall market dynamic] **Competitor Analysis:** For each competitor: ### [Competitor Name] - **Optimised for:** [Their ideal customer] - **Pricing model:** [Structure + approximate price point] - **Key strengths:** [2–3 specific capabilities] - **Strategic blind spot:** [The customer or need they've deprioritised] - **Claim vs. capability gap:** [Where their marketing overstates their product] **Direct Comparison Table:** | Dimension | [Your Company] | [Competitor 1] | [Competitor 2] | [Competitor 3] | **3 Strategic Opportunities:** 1. [Opportunity] — [Which competitor gap it exploits] — [Specific action to take] 2. [Opportunity] — [Gap] — [Action] 3. [Opportunity] — [Gap] — [Action] **Battle Card — Competing vs. [Strongest Competitor]:** • [Win tactic 1] • [Win tactic 2] • [Win tactic 3] **Threat Assessment:** [Which competitor to watch most closely in the next 18 months and why] QUALITY BAR: The strategic opportunities section should generate immediate disagreement or excitement in a leadership team — a report that everyone nods politely at and then ignores has not surfaced genuinely useful insights.