What is their competitive strategy?

A competitive analysis also outlines strategies for gaining a competitive advantage, keeping competitors out of your market, exploiting the competitorsa?? weaknesses, and exposing their areas of vulnerability. With this information, you can craft competitive and marketing strategies, thus fine tuning your brand and your message.

To find out more about your competition, you can:

Personally visit their offices.

Call them to request products/services information and pricing.

If possible, purchase their products/services.

Attend trade shows and view competitorsa?? exhibits.

If possible, talk to their customers to find out what they like or dislike about the competitorsa?? products/services.

Collect advertising, marketing and promotional materials.

Visit your competitorsa?? websites.

Some online resources: Dow Jones Interactive www.djinactive.com, D&B Million Dollar Database www.dnb.com, Standard & Poora??s Industry Surveys www.standardandpoors.com, One source Corp Tech Company Profiles www.corptech.com, Hoovera??s www.hoovers.com, U.S. Census Bureau www.census.gov, and U.S. Securities and Exchange filings www.freeedgar.com

If possible, make arrangements through a third party to interview competitorsa?? employees.