Being a Better Choice Than Your Competitors

A similar pattern has been repeating itself in the last few months. A candidate makes a statement, his/her opponent absorbs what was said and re-uses it within a campaign ad or a speech, in a manner which weakens the original statement or intent.

The back and forth between the two parties is rapid. A quote from a new interview on TV or print can be integrated into an fresh attack ad in the matter of hours. If someone makes a gaffe or says something politically incorrect, you can expect a rival response condemning it. Everything is fodder to be used in a way which weakens another’s value as a politician.

What’s the end goal of electioneering politics? It’s not just about fighting for a cause and making promises to the people. Sure, most politicians need a strong platform to run on but in the end it all comes down to one thing: being the lesser evil. Or if you’re less cynical, the better choice. It’s all a game of making your opponent look worse than you.

Less qualified, less experienced, less ethical, less intelligent, less patriotic, less in tune with the concerns of the people. If you can do that successfully, you’ll win votes and maybe even an election. Like I’ve mentioned before, political theatre is all about managing perspectives.

The same thing goes for business and marketing. Too often do we believe that we operate in a vacuum. At every single moment, somebody out there is always comparing you to your competitor. Some of them do this out publicly by writing about you in blogs or forums, other do this subconsciously or mentally whenever they are faced with the choice of making a purchase.

To win a customer or reader over, you need to manage their perspectives. You need to win their trust. You need to be the better choice, the lesser evil. To that end, you need an acute understanding and ongoing awareness of your competitors. What are other businesses or sites in your field are doing? What can you do to top their efforts?

Apart from improving the value of your offer, branding or marketing efforts can be created not only to emphasize your promise but the inadequancies of your competitor. Some political theorists advocate the strategy of attacking your opponents strengths instead of their weaknesses, the goal of which is to make people re-question their solidified beliefs.

Of course, these methods do not have to culminate in a overt ‘attack ad’ slamming your competitors. Strong-armed messages will often backfire. Sarcasm, humor and subtle visual references can leech attention from your rival’s strengths and turn consumers onto your offer.

If you’re not doing any ad-based promotions and just want to improve your competitive appeal, try monitoring the web for feedback on your competitor. Understanding how other people feel about them will allow you to revamp yourself accordingly. If they hate a flaw about your rival (e.g poor customer service), advocate your distaste for that particular weakness and take a pro-active stance to promise better-than-others service.

If they love something about your competitor (e.g comprehensive journalism) but crave more meaty or original news, offer content that is more all-encompassing or go in-depth with more feature content on a sub-topic. Turn their strengths or weaknesses into your advantage.

To sum up, this strategy is quite simple: It’s about constantly playing off your competitors actions and their perceived pros/cons. Like political elections, you’ll need to repeatedly adapt swiftly and decisively, in order to position yourself as the better choice than your rivals.