Learning From Your Industry Competitors
You can learn a lot from your competitors! You can analyze their marketing strategies and see what works well for them. You can look at their product or service offerings and see how you can improve your own offerings. You can analyze their pricing structure and see where you could be more competitive. But have you ever thought about what you should avoid when looking at your industry competitors?
What is brand design and brand strategy?
Brand design and brand strategy are both crucial to creating a successful brand. Brand design refers to the brand's visual identity, including elements such as the logo, color palette, and typography. Brand strategy involves the overall plan for how a brand will position itself in the market, communicate its values, and connect with its target audience.
How do you identify your competitors?
To identify your competitors, look for companies that offer similar products or services, target the same audience, or share your values or mission. A quick Google, Instagram, or LinkedIn search on keywords such as job title, your services, etc. will reveal your industry trend in branding. You will want to look through all of them. You will start to notice some trends.
Ask yourself:
What colors are over-used?
What’s the tone of their brand messaging?
What point of view do they use? Do they talk like it’s their obituary?
What fonts are over-used?
Which brands attract you and why?
Which brands do you dislike and why?
What social media platforms are they on?
Who are they targeting?
What graphics and logos are used?
Does every website layout look the same?
Use this research to your advantage!
Identifying these trends can help you avoid blending in with the competition and allow you to create a unique brand identity that resonates with your target audience.
Studying your competitors can be a valuable exercise that can help you stay ahead of the curve and grow your business. Doing this research can give you an advantage before starting a branding project. As a brand designer, my goal is to ensure that your brand identity stands out and represents your business. Understanding your competitors is an essential part of creating a unique and authentic brand identity.
If you feel stuck, please reach out to me!