There is a lot of focus on the customer persona, the target audience, the avatar. And while this is important, I don’t see much attention being paid to the competition.
In a world of noise, what gets noticed is the different. And being different depends on a consciousness of our environment, and how our audience is experiencing it. And how we stand out within it.
However many businesses focus solely on the competition within their field. On how they are positioned against other toothpastes. Other financial institutions. Other carmakers.
Defining the real competition often requires taking a step back, especially with higher-priced offerings. Your potential customer is also choosing between your product and perhaps a nice restaurant meal, some new jewelry, or an exotic vacation. Or maybe a new photocopier, LMS system, or corporate offsite.
It’s never just about your business, or even its category. Customer choice is a wide playing field. Your brand needs to provide evidence that it is worthy of its competition. And your competition is not always evident.