...How to Write a Competitive Analysis by Michael Knowles There are few documents that get the attention of product planners and marketers the way that a competitive analysis does. A good competitive analysis is a scouting report of the actual market terrain that your company must navigate in order to be successful. And there is no person better equipped to write one than a market-savvy technical writer. To write a good competitive analysis, you must: • Be objective. • Conduct fearless and thorough research. • Write well. If you're like most successful technical writers I know, you have these skills already. So, how do you put these skills together to do the job? 1. A competitive analysis covers five key topics: 2. Your company's competitors. 3. Competitor product summaries. 4. Competitor strengths and weaknesses. 5. The strategies used by each competitor to achieve their objectives. 6. The market outlook. 1. Competitors of Le Marais Chocolat, Macarons -laduree ( hongkong, taipei, japan, singapore and south korea, 1.1 Ladurée http://www.laduree.com/douceurs/les-maisons.html The analysis begins with a list of your company's competitors. Most of the time, such a list is comprised of what your company cconsiders to be its chief competitors. However, there may be other companies that indirectly compete with yours, ones that offer products or services that are aiming for the same customer capital. You will also want to include information on companies that may be entering your...
Words: 774 - Pages: 4
...compatible with computers with certain system requirements 2. Microsoft Kinect: A hands-free product that has infrared and camera technology to identify gestures and motions so the user can control Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Windows PC. It was designed for mostly gaming and application purposes. A perceptual map comparing some features and benefits of these competitors with the Myo Armband is located on page 5 in the report. Microsoft may be a potential competitor in the near future because they have a patent on a very similar product. Other than the sophisticated technology to create a similar device, there are few barriers to enter the market. Myo has a competitive advantage. Myo Armband is compatible with more of today’s popular products and uses muscle activity technology, unlike its competitors. Competitive Analysis Product Description The Myo Armband is a gesture controlled armband that can be used with many technological devices. It was created by Thalmic Labs to help enhance consumers’ experiences with technology. This device comes with full software support to help link the product with many other popular devices using Bluetooth 4.0 technology. The Myo Armband uses electromyography and spatial sensors to detect and sense the electrical activity from the forearm muscles and the motions it makes to transmit the information and...
Words: 1155 - Pages: 5
...Name: Lecture: Course: Date: Brand Competitive Analysis Introduction Topshop is a British international retailer that focuses in style shoes, clothing, accessories, and make-up. It has about 440 shops throughout 37 nations and internet operations in a number of its markets. The major competitors of Topshop are French Connection, GAP, Zara, and H&M. Topshop is facing competitions throughout the years that cause it to have competitive strategies. It is only that what sells first and well liked will constantly have the benefit. Topshop gives wide range of products and services in order to meet the diverse consumers they attract and give essential to innovative developments, maintaining Topshop on top of the fashion game. Comparison Table Topshop | Zara | H&M | Topshop produce competitive prices and high quality products and services compared to H&M. | Competitive prices and quality products | Produce quality product | Has larger market than H&M | Has the largest market | Lowest market compared to Topshop an Zara | Products are edgier | Zara is much preferred due to a number of aspects, they appear much edgier | Products are not | Support and fit with the current brand image and future brand objective | Support current brand image | Fit future brand objective | Those individuals who like to maintain the current fashion prefer Topshop. | Zara seems to support a more standard fashion that can be worn from time to time | Support less standard fashion compared to...
Words: 379 - Pages: 2
...Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis ECO/365 Bill Gates and Paul Allen made a company called Microsoft in 1975. They were computer fanatics that had a idea for personal computers. Microsoft then established itself into a household name. The marketplace for the personal computer became a actuality with the dream and hard work of Microsoft. Our group has been selected to be a part of a strategic planning team at Microsoft. They are the worldwide front-runner in software, services and solutions that support individuals and companies to realize their full potential ("A History of Windows", 2014). Microsoft is thinking about developing a new TV line. The marketing director directed our team to do a competitive market analysis and figure out the TV’s possible success. Our analysis will include an emphasis on Microsoft’s primary challenger (Sony) in the TV market. This report will look at the company as it relates to the current market settings and as it pertains to Microsoft concerning the marketplace structure, knowledge, price elasticity of demand, and participants. Tec-view vs. Sony HD Television Microsoft has developed a new television that will be an all in one component called Tec-view. This product will take the place of your computer and various digital devices while maintaining the expected functions of a television. Microsoft has brought superior upgrading to the line of visual experience. The competitor Sony HD television, is also working...
Words: 1384 - Pages: 6
...INTRODUCTION Diabetes Care in a Box (DCB) is an online monthly subscription service for glucose testing strips. DCB allows patients to minimize the costs and efforts of living with diabetes. Through DCB’s integrated connectivity solutions, patients will have better visibility to their progress through easy-to-read data analysis and trends that can be shared with physicians, family members, and caregivers. Beyond our modern meter and glucose testing strips, our product will encourage a healthy lifestyle through educational pamphlets, promotional coupons, and DCB’s online social community. Most importantly, DCB can be paid for through insurance. The following sections of this analysis outline the competitive landscape that DCB is positioned against. Each competitor profile contains a description of its measurable elements and how DCB compares. Along with the competitor profiles, we have constructed a competitive matrix to critically profile and compare DCB against its known competitors; a comparative matrix to individually identify specific technological components of a direct competitor that has a comparable technology offering; a SWOT analysis to structure our planning method that evaluates our business venture; and a positioning map to visually depict and analyze the position and perception of each competing product in respect to two specific characteristics: cost efficiency and unique offerings. ACCU-CHEK Who Accu-Chek is a leading provider of blood glucose testing...
Words: 1771 - Pages: 8
...Contents 1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………3 2.0 Overview of Industry Life Cycle……………………………………………4 3.0 Literature review of Information Technology………………………………4 4.0 Conclusion for Industry Life Cycle…………………………………………5 5.0 Industry Level Analysis (Dell)………………………………………………6 6.0 Business Strategy……………………………………………………………7 7.0 Enterprise Solutions and service…………………………………………….8 8.0 PEST Analysis of Dell Company…………………………………………...11 9.0 Porters Five Forces of Dell………………………………………………….13 10.0 Stage of Industry Lifecycle of Dell…………………………………………16 11.0 Recommendation to improve performance of Dell…………………………17 12.0 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………..18 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………....19 Appendix…………………………………………………………………………….21 Overview of Industry Life Cycle Industry Life Cycle (ILC) is the stages of evolution through which an industry progresses as it moves from conception to stabilization and stagnation. Different analyses posit different stages of an industry life cycle (usually four to five), but all emphasize that an industry has a beginning, with technological innovation; a period of rapid growth; maturity and consolidation; and finally decline and possibly death. Industry dynamic impacts firm strategy and survival, and it is important to managers understanding that whether firm should compete or cooperate at different stages of the industry life cycle (Wilson & Hynes, 2009). One of the main tenets of how firms and industries evolve is that, as...
Words: 3165 - Pages: 13
...Flinders University Web Redevelopment Competitive Analysis Report Findings of a workshop undertaken by the Information Architecture Working Party 1. Introduction This report provides an overview of the findings of the Information Architecture Working Party’s analysis of competitive sites undertaken on 5 May 2006. This report will be a one source of information used to assist the development and assessment of information architecture solutions. 2. Background Competitive analysis involves assessing websites within the same industry. It adds to our understanding of the Flinders University context. Context is one of three key elements in informing good information architecture. As stated by Withrow (2006) the benefits of competitive analysis include: • Understanding the competition • Building domain knowledge (or understanding of the industry) • Identifying best practices • Expanding dialogue and the possibilities 3. Process 1. Preparation A background paper was provided to Information Architecture Working Party members on 21 April 2006. It outlined the benefits of competitive analysis and provided an overview of the process that would be undertaken as part of the workshop. In addition, the background paper provided an outline of previous studies undertaken on University websites. These include: • An analysis of navigation and content on University homepages from Australia, Canada, United States of America, South-East Asia and Europe...
Words: 2600 - Pages: 11
...Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis ECO/365 May 13, 2014 Fariba Kheradmand Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Due to the widespread general appeal of Alcohol, our team has selected to break into the adult beverage market and compete with major brewing and distilling companies such as Suntory and Beam Inc. Mainly we want to focus on alcoholic beverages that appeal to the female clientele such as flavored Margaritas. These drinks are sweeter in taste, colorful to the eye and less expensive than “top shelf” alcohol drinks. Below you will find the results of our findings. Suntory Holding is a brewing and distillery company that was originally formed in 1899 in Osaka Japan. Originally Suntory only sold alcoholic beverages such as Japanese whisky but has expanded into everything from sandwiches to soft drinks. In January, 2014, Suntory made an agreement with American producers Jim Beam Inc. to buy their company for $13.6 billion dollars. Suntory’s total annual revenue is $4.3 billion dollars and once this acquisition goes through, it will make Suntory the world’s third largest maker of spirits. The alcohol market is an enormous market. In the following two paragraphs Team C will provide an overview of the market for our product, “Sauza Sparkling Margarita Watermelon”, include an analysis of its competitors, and define our product’s potential customers. The best definition found for defining a market is “A market is the set of all actual and...
Words: 1621 - Pages: 7
...Competitive Analysis The health club industry has continued to see an increase in the amount of health clubs/fitness centers. Since 1992, the United States has seen the number of health clubs increased by almost 40 percent, from 12,635 to 17,531 facilities. It has also seen an increase in membership by almost 60 percent, from 20.8 million to 32.8 million. What this all means for Fun 4 Life Fitness Center, LLC is that the market is ever growing which translates to more competition. Most fitness centers offer a variety of services to address the needs and convenience of the customers. Some of these services includes personal trainers, facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, and programs that cater to mostly every demographic. Fun 4 Life Fitness will seek to have a competitive edge by providing customers with stellar customer service along with offering a variety of programs and equipment that is sure to develop a following for Fun 4 Life Fitness Center, LLC. Key Competitors The key competitors that have fitness centers in the Corpus Christi area are Gold’s Gym, Freedom Fitness of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi Snap Fitness Center, and Corpus Christi Athletic Club. Gold’s Gym specializes in providing some of the best cardio and strength equipment to help people realize their goals. Some of their strengths include the programs they offer, their personal trainer staff, and most importantly, the Gold’s Gym brand name. They have built up a reputation for being...
Words: 1349 - Pages: 6
...SWOT analysis (Case Study of Volkswagen) Company background Industries served | Automotive | Geographic areas served | Worldwide | Headquarters | Germany | Current CEO | Martin Winterkorn | Revenue | €192.7 billion (2012) | Profit | €21.7 billion (2012) | Employees | 549,763 (2012) | Main Competitors | Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Chrysler Group LLC, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Company, Honda Motor Company, Nissan Motor, Tata Motors, Ltd., Toyota Motor Corporation and many other automotive companies. | Volkswagen Groups is a German corporation that manufactures passenger cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles and engines. The company was the largest automaker by output in the world in 2011. Volkswagen Group also offers financial and leasing services. The company owns 13 vehicle brands, including Audi, Volkswagen, Bentley, Porsche, Skoda, Lamborghini, MAN, Scania and motorcycle brand Ducati. It operates in more than 150 countries and is one the largest companies in the world by size and revenue. Strengths: - Global presence. Volkswagen operates in 153 countries worldwide and was the third biggest auto manufacturer in 2012, down from the 1st place in 2011. The company manufactures its cars in 100 plants in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Except GM and Toyota, no other automotive company is capable to compete with Volkswagen in terms of global presence...
Words: 1530 - Pages: 7
...Competitive Analysis CanGo.com Team America Introduction This competitive analysis was conducted to aid in the development of CanGo, an online gaming website. This analysis focused on three competitors: Big Fish Games, iWin.com, and Pogo.com. The existence of these competitors indicates that there is indeed a market for online gaming. All of these competitors offer free online game play, game downloads, chat rooms, club memberships, and some type of prizes. This suggests that CanGo may be benefit from extending the online gaming website to include these services. Certain content functionality appears to be standard in this industry and should be included in the CanGo website: * Free Games/Chat rooms/Prizes/Club membership Competitor 1: Big Dish Games (www.bigfishgames.com) Content/Functionality Big Fish Games offers a vast array of downloadable games online, PC games, and games for Mac users. Special interest should be paid to the game community, forums and the way Big Fish Games encourages game developers to be a partnership with Big Fish Games by submitting their new downloadable game. Products offered: The genres of games offered whether downloadable or online include: * Puzzle/Hidden Object/Strategy/Word/Arcade/Action/Card/Board There are approximately over 150 free online games, hundreds of pay per downloads and a new title released every day. Technology used: * Secure shopping cart * Audio (Flash player, Active X, and Java Script) ...
Words: 978 - Pages: 4
...Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to provide a good understanding of the external environment factors and how it affects the banking sector of the business. This will provide as a better understanding of the key factors and how this factors can create a competitive advantage with Westpac and Hsbc. Strategic choices were also provided for both banks and on how these choices can be an advantage and disadvantage with Westpac and Hsbc. A conclusion was also provided at the end of this report. Table of Contents Executive Summary: 4 Introduction: 6 Banking History 6 Content: 7 Macro environment Factors: 7 PEST Analysis 7 Political and Legal factors 8 Economic factor 8 Social Factors 9 Technology 9 Firm Level Analysis 10 Porter’s 5 Forces in Bank Industry 10 Firm Level Analysis 11 SWOT Analysis Model 11 Strategic Choice 12 Conclusion: 13 References 13 Introduction: Banking History Australia’s banking history can be described in four eras, the private banks, the commonwealth banks, the reserve bank and deregulation. Australian’s first bank was founded in 1817, the Bank of New of New South Wales. The main purpose of this bank is to take deposits and re-loaned the money by providing discounts of exchanged. Since there is no central bank, each private bank are taking their own risk and a lot of private banks stood and fall from its credit. As long as the bank’s assets were believed to be credible, its notes...
Words: 2014 - Pages: 9
...the cables we have used to transfer data. With recent advances in wireless technology as well as in battery technology, Bedejajomi is about to set a new standard for performance monitoring. Factors The interesting part about the BitFit is that it can be marketed to any age group for the most part, barring toddlers. We currently live in a society that strives to push healthy eating and every street you walk down there is a CrossFit facility. Although obesity might be on a rampant rage we believe that our product, the BitFit will allow for interaction to play a huge role in getting adults, kids, and elderly people alike to start paying attention to what they are doing to their bodies. The key factors that we believe will keep us competitive are the fact that all the other...
Words: 1592 - Pages: 7
...INTRODUSTION: This article is about the competitive issue of automobile companies Toyota and Ford. It is particularly focused on the Ford, which is facing hard competition with Toyota and other reputed automobile companies. This article represents the concept of Competitive Analysis, how company has to face competition with other companies when it expands its business at international level. Few common reasons are responsible for fewer sales of the ford cars. Particularly I would like to focus on the quality of the car and its image in the customer’s mind, which are common affecting factors to the lower sales of the Ford cars. Toyota and Ford tied for leading in the most segments on strategic vision’s Total Quality Index(TQI), leading with three vehicles each. Toyota lead with its Yaris, 4runnerand sequoia while Ford lead with tha Edge, Mutang convertible and F-259/350, the 2008 results are based on ratings by new vehicle owners in 19 product segments. Toyota Motor Sales had two additional leaders with the Scion XB and the Lexus RX350(which tied with land Rover’s LR2), while Ford Motor Co. added two additional wins with the mercury sable and volvo C30. Toyota has announced the launch of the Aurion Touring Special Edition, adding more ammunition against the Holden Commodore and Ford’s aging Falcon. ...
Words: 1049 - Pages: 5
...production and market innovation goal in operation (Southern Lion Sdn.Bhd. 2012). The mission of company is to improve the life quality of Malaysian consumer by offer the affordable and innovative products. The company tries to win the heart of consumers and develop the reciprocal relationship with them. Moreover, it tries to achieve value maximization of shareholders, customers as well as employees (Southern Lion Sdn.Bhd. 2012). The management structure of Southern Lion is more empowered to employees. According to financial report of Lion Corporation in 2013, the organization style is not top organization just give the direction to subordinate whereas it give the driving force for creativity and able to accept challenges. 2.4 SWOT Analysis 2.3 4Ps Product Currently, TOP had launched various product categories and form. It includes the powder form detergent, liquid form detergent and also softener. In powder detergent, it has many different features such as blooming freshness, super colour, super hygienic and also super white. TOP also launches the new detergent range which is anti-mite dust formulation in 2013 (Sledgehammer Communications 2013).The packaging sizes of TOP detergents including 125g, 1kg, 2.5kg and 4kg. Placing Currently, TOP had using the intensive distribution strategy and distributed in...
Words: 5231 - Pages: 21
