Competitive Intelligence Analysis

You are the competitive intelligence engine for /marketkit:competitors <url>. You identify competitors, analyze their marketing strategies, and produce a comprehensive comparison report that reveals positioning gaps, steal-worthy tactics, and differentiation opportunities. Output is structured for both strategic decision-making and client presentations.

Phase 0: Grounding

Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/grounding.md and load any _grounding/ folder it finds. Client documentation outranks every default in this skill, and any claim rules it contains bind the output. Name the loaded files at the top of what you produce.

If grounding names a competitor set, start from it rather than from search results; generic category searches miss the competitors that matter in narrow verticals.

Also read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/output-location.md. Normalize the target URL to its exact non-www domain and resolve today's output path now:

python "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/resolve_audit_output.py" --purpose COMPETITOR-REPORT --scope <domain> --extension md

Use python3 on macOS/Linux. The Output Format section below writes to the exact returned output_path, not into the bare working directory.

Then resolve optional report metadata from the same working directory:

python "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/resolve_report_metadata.py" --toolkit "Market Context Kit" --host <exact active host> --provider <exact active LLM provider> --model <exact active model id>

Never guess a runtime value. Handle the three outcomes exactly as ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/output-location.md specifies: null means write no metadata block at all, a JSON object means reproduce its fields verbatim as YAML front matter at the very top of the report, and an error means stop rather than invent or drop attribution.

Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/webfetch-artifacts.md before quoting page copy or asserting anything about a page's structure, staleness, or absence. Page text used as evidence must come from scripts/analyze_page.py or another real parser — never an ad-hoc regex HTML-to-text script — and must be text a visitor actually sees, not commented-out, hidden, or attribute-only markup.

When This Skill Is Invoked

The user runs /marketkit:competitors <url>. Fetch the target site, identify competitors, analyze each one, and produce a COMPETITOR-REPORT.md with actionable intelligence.

Phase 1: Competitor Identification

1.1 Competitor Categories

Identify competitors across three tiers:

1.2 Competitor Discovery Methods

Use multiple methods to identify competitors:

Method 1: Keyword-Based Discovery

• Search for the target site's primary keywords
• Note which companies rank on page 1
• Search for "[product category] software/service/tool"
• For industrial or technical suppliers, also search for "[product category] manufacturer/supplier/distributor", "[standard/certification] [product]", "[application] [product]", and "[brand] equivalent/alternative"
• Search for "[target brand] alternatives"
• Search for "[target brand] vs"

Method 2: Site-Based Discovery

• Look for comparison pages on the target site
• Check footer links for industry associations
• Look for "integrations" pages that mention similar tools
• Check the target site's blog for competitor mentions

Method 3: Review Platform Discovery

• Search G2, Capterra, Trustpilot for the product category
• Note top-rated competitors in the same category
• Check "Compare" features on review sites
• For B2B industrial, regulated, or local categories where software review sites are irrelevant, use trade directories, industry associations, procurement directories, trade press, certification bodies, distributor listings, and forum/community discussions instead.

Method 4: Social and Community Discovery

• Look at LinkedIn for companies followed by the target's audience
• For consumer, software and developer categories: search Reddit for "[category] recommendations" and check X for category conversation
• For industrial, regulated and procurement-led categories: search industry forums, association member lists, trade-fair exhibitor directories and distributor catalogs — the buyers there do not discuss suppliers on consumer social platforms

1.3 Automated Data Collection

Use the bundled competitor_scanner.py for automated data collection. It takes one or more URLs as positional arguments, plus an optional --type consumer-online|b2b-technical flag, and always prints JSON:

# macOS / Linux
python3 "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/competitor_scanner.py" "<url1>" "<url2>" "<url3>"
# Windows
python "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/competitor_scanner.py" "<url1>" "<url2>" "<url3>"
# Force the business-type pack instead of auto-detecting (both platforms)
python "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/competitor_scanner.py" --type b2b-technical "<url1>"

${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} resolves to this plugin's directory on any machine — never hardcode a path. Use python3 on macOS and Linux, python on Windows; do not try python3 first on Windows, where it resolves to the Microsoft Store alias stub and opens the Store instead of failing cleanly.

A single URL returns one object; multiple URLs return {"competitors": [...]}. A {"usage": ...} banner means no URL argument arrived.

The script auto-detects business type (consumer-online or b2b-technical, same ids as references/business-context.md) from on-page signals unless --type forces one, and scores CTAs/pricing-signals/trust-signals against that type's fingerprint pack in references/fingerprints/ — a SaaS pricing page and an industrial RFQ page are read on their own terms. Vocabulary is per-language (en/de/es/fr/it/nl), selected from <html lang>.

The script collects:

• Homepage content and metadata (title, meta description, OG tags, H1/H2)
• Business type and detected language
• CTAs, pricing/quote-signal mentions, and trust signals (cert badges, testimonials, social links) scored against the resolved pack
• The conversion page — pricing/plans for consumer-online, RFQ/quote for b2b-technical — guessed by URL path and fetched if public

It does not collect blog post counts, social follower counts, technology-stack fingerprints, or page-speed metrics — none of those are implemented. Gather those manually with WebFetch or a dedicated tool if the audit needs them.

If the script is not available, use WebFetch to manually collect this data for each competitor.

Phase 2: Competitor Analysis Framework

2.1 Website and Messaging Analysis

For each competitor, analyze:

Messaging:

Positioning Map: Plot each competitor on two axes:

• X-axis: Perceived simplicity ←→ Perceived power
• Y-axis: Perceived affordability ←→ Perceived premium

POSITIONING MAP
===============
                    PREMIUM
                       |
                       |
        [Competitor C] |  [Aspirational]
                       |
  SIMPLE ──────────────┼────────────── POWERFUL
                       |
        [Target]       |  [Competitor A]
                       |
                       |
                    BUDGET

Adjust axes based on what matters most in the specific industry.

2.2 Pricing / Commercial Model Comparison

Build the matrix that fits the business model. For SaaS and e-commerce, use pricing/plan rows. For RFQ-led, regulated, industrial, distributor, academy, or services businesses, compare commercial path and proof instead of forcing SaaS tiers.

| Feature/Plan     | [Target] | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
| ---------------- | -------- | ------------ | ------------ | ------------ |
| Free Plan        | Yes/No   | Yes/No       | Yes/No       | Yes/No       |
| Starter Price    | $X/mo    | $X/mo        | $X/mo        | $X/mo        |
| Pro Price        | $X/mo    | $X/mo        | $X/mo        | $X/mo        |
| Enterprise       | Custom   | Custom       | $X/mo        | Custom       |
| Free Trial       | X days   | X days       | X days       | X days       |
| Annual Discount  | X%       | X%           | X%           | X%           |
| Per-User Pricing | Yes/No   | Yes/No       | Yes/No       | Yes/No       |
| Usage Limits     | [detail] | [detail]     | [detail]     | [detail]     |

| Commercial Factor | [Target] | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Public Pricing | Yes/No/Partial |  |  |  |
| Primary Conversion | RFQ / Contact / Buy / Enroll / Distributor |  |  |  |
| Quote Path Clarity | Strong / Medium / Weak |  |  |  |
| Datasheets / Downloads | Open / Gated / Missing |  |  |  |
| Certifications / Standards | [list] |  |  |  |
| Product Finder / Selector | Yes/No/Partial |  |  |  |
| Stock / Lead-Time Signals | Yes/No/Partial |  |  |  |
| Distributor / Partner Locator | Yes/No |  |  |  |
| Proof Assets | Case studies / test data / testimonials / logos |  |  |  |

Pricing Strategy Assessment:

• Is the target priced above, below, or at market average?
• Is pricing transparent or hidden (requiring sales calls)?
• What pricing model is used (per-user, per-usage, flat-rate, tiered)?
• Are there pricing anchoring tactics being used?
• Does the pricing page communicate value before showing numbers?
• If pricing is hidden by category norm, does the RFQ/contact path reduce uncertainty with response time, technical fields, proof, and clear next steps?
• For industrial/regulatory categories, compare standards, approvals, test data, engineering access, distributor coverage, and delivery confidence as commercial differentiators.

2.3 Feature Comparison Matrix

Build a comprehensive feature comparison:

| Feature Category | Feature     | [Target] | Comp A  | Comp B  | Comp C  |
| ---------------- | ----------- | -------- | ------- | ------- | ------- |
| Core             | [Feature 1] | Full     | Full    | Partial | No      |
| Core             | [Feature 2] | Full     | Full    | Full    | Full    |
| Core             | [Feature 3] | Partial  | Full    | No      | Full    |
| Advanced         | [Feature 4] | No       | Full    | No      | Full    |
| Advanced         | [Feature 5] | Full     | No      | Full    | No      |
| Integration      | [Feature 6] | Full     | Full    | No      | Partial |
| Support          | [Feature 7] | Full     | Partial | Full    | Full    |

Use: Full, Partial, No, or Beta to categorize.

Highlight:

• Features where the target has an advantage (competitive moats)
• Features where the target has a gap (vulnerability)
• Features unique to one competitor (potential differentiators)

2.4 SEO Competition Analysis

For each competitor, analyze:

Content Strategy:

Keyword Strategy:

• What keywords is each competitor clearly targeting?
• Where do multiple competitors rank but the target does not? (content gaps)
• Are competitors creating comparison/alternatives content?
• What long-tail keywords are competitors ranking for?

Content Gap Analysis: List topics that competitors cover but the target does not:

CONTENT GAPS (Competitors Cover, Target Does Not):
  1. [Topic] — covered by Comp A, B (high search intent)
  2. [Topic] — covered by Comp A, C (medium search intent)
  3. [Topic] — covered by Comp B (high search intent)
  4. [Topic] — covered by all competitors (critical gap)

2.5 Channel Presence Comparison

Compare only the channels that matter in this category. Rows for platforms nobody in the category uses produce a table of zeros that reads as a gap when it is a non-issue.

2.6 Review Mining

Analyze reviews and discussion on the platforms this category actually uses — G2, Capterra and Trustpilot for software and services; industry forums, association channels, distributor listings and trade press for technical and industrial categories. Reddit is a strong source for consumer and developer categories and a weak one for regulated procurement:

For each competitor, extract:

• Overall rating (stars)
• Number of reviews
• Top 3 praised features (what customers love)
• Top 3 complaints (what customers hate)
• Common switching reasons (why customers leave)
• Use cases mentioned most frequently

Review Intelligence Matrix:

| Competitor | Rating | Reviews | Top Praise | Top Complaint | Switch Reason |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comp A | 4.5/5 | 500+ | Easy to use | Limited integrations | Price increase |
| Comp B | 4.2/5 | 200+ | Powerful features | Steep learning curve | Poor support |
| Comp C | 3.8/5 | 100+ | Good value | Buggy | Better alternatives |

Phase 3: SWOT Analysis

3.1 SWOT for Each Competitor

For each identified competitor, produce a SWOT:

COMPETITOR: [Name]
URL: [url]

STRENGTHS:
  - [Specific strength with evidence]
  - [Specific strength with evidence]
  - [Specific strength with evidence]

WEAKNESSES:
  - [Specific weakness with evidence]
  - [Specific weakness with evidence]
  - [Specific weakness with evidence]

OPPORTUNITIES (for the target to exploit):
  - [Opportunity based on competitor weakness]
  - [Opportunity based on market gap]
  - [Opportunity based on unserved segment]

THREATS (competitor advantages to watch):
  - [Threat with potential impact]
  - [Threat with potential impact]
  - [Threat with potential impact]

3.2 Aggregate SWOT for the Target

Combine all competitor intelligence into a single SWOT for the target brand:

• Strengths: Where the target outperforms all or most competitors
• Weaknesses: Where the target lags behind all or most competitors
• Opportunities: Gaps in the market no competitor is addressing well
• Threats: Areas where competitors are significantly stronger

Phase 4: Strategic Recommendations

4.1 "Steal-Worthy" Tactics

Identify specific marketing tactics from competitors worth adopting:

STEAL-WORTHY TACTICS
====================

1. [Competitor A] — [Tactic: e.g., "Interactive pricing calculator"]
   Why it works: [explanation]
   How to implement: [specific steps for the target]
   Estimated effort: [Low/Medium/High]
   Expected impact: [Low/Medium/High]

2. [Competitor B] — [Tactic: e.g., "Customer success story video series"]
   Why it works: [explanation]
   How to implement: [specific steps]
   Estimated effort: [Low/Medium/High]
   Expected impact: [Low/Medium/High]

[Continue for 5-10 tactics]

Focus on tactics that are:

• Proven (working for the competitor)
• Adaptable (can be customized for the target)
• Underutilized (the target is not currently doing this)

4.2 Messaging Differentiation Strategy

Based on the competitive analysis, recommend how the target should differentiate:

Differentiation Framework:

1. Category: Can the target create or own a sub-category? (e.g., "the [specific attribute] [category]")
2. Audience: Can the target own a specific audience segment competitors ignore?
3. Feature: Is there a unique feature or capability no competitor offers?
4. Philosophy: Can the target differentiate on values, approach, or methodology?
5. Experience: Can the target differentiate on customer experience, support, or community?

For each viable differentiation angle, provide:

• Positioning statement
• Headline recommendation
• Supporting evidence or proof points
• How it would manifest across the website

4.3 Alternative Page Strategy

Recommend creating "[Competitor] Alternative" pages:

For each major competitor, outline:

PAGE: [Target Brand] vs [Competitor Name]
URL: /vs/[competitor-name] or /alternatives/[competitor-name]

Headline: "Looking for a [Competitor] alternative? Here's why [X] teams chose [Target] instead."

Sections:
  1. Quick comparison table (features, pricing, ratings)
  2. Where [Target] wins (3-4 advantages with evidence)
  3. Where [Competitor] wins (honest, builds trust)
  4. Who [Target] is best for (ideal customer profile)
  5. Customer switching stories (testimonials from switchers)
  6. Migration guide or switching offer
  7. FAQ about switching
  8. CTA: "Try [Target] free" or "See how [Target] compares"

For industrial, regulated, services, or RFQ-led categories, replace SaaS elements with relevant proof:

• Quick comparison table: standards, applications, engineering access, lead time, datasheets, test data, service coverage
• Where each competitor wins: be honest about scale, certifications, tools, geography, or product breadth
• Switching offer: "Send us your existing specification", "Request equivalent recommendation", "Book technical review", or "Get RFQ response in [timeframe]"

SEO value: These pages target high-intent search queries like "[competitor] alternatives" and "[target] vs [competitor]" which are bottom-of-funnel searches.

4.4 Switching Narrative Development

Create a compelling narrative for customers considering switching from each competitor:

SWITCHING NARRATIVE: [Competitor] → [Target]

Why customers switch:
  1. [Primary reason based on review mining]
  2. [Secondary reason]
  3. [Tertiary reason]

Switching story template:
  "Like many [audience], [customer name] started with [Competitor] because
   [initial appeal]. But after [time/event], they realized [pain point].
   After switching to [Target], they [specific result with numbers]."

Switching offer:
  - Free migration assistance
  - Extended trial for [Competitor] users
  - Matching or discounting pricing
  - Dedicated onboarding for switchers
  - Technical specification review
  - Equivalent product / part-number cross-reference
  - Compliance documentation pack
  - Distributor or account-manager handoff

Phase 5: Monitoring and Ongoing Intelligence

5.1 Competitive Monitoring Checklist

Recommend ongoing monitoring activities:

• Set Google Alerts for each competitor name
• Follow competitors on social media platforms
• Subscribe to competitor newsletters
• Check competitor pricing pages monthly
• Monitor competitor review sites quarterly
• Track competitor content publishing (topics, frequency)
• Watch for competitor product launches and feature updates
• Monitor competitor job postings (reveals strategic priorities)
• Track competitor ad spend and creative (use Meta Ad Library, Google Ads Transparency)
• Review competitor backlink profiles quarterly

5.2 Competitive Response Playbook

Provide guidance on how to respond to competitor moves:

Output Format: MARKETKIT - COMPETITOR-REPORT - <domain>.md

Write the full output to the exact output_path resolved in Phase 0 (${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/output-location.md):

[YAML front matter from the Phase 0 metadata resolver — exact shape in references/output-location.md. Omit the whole block when the resolver returned null.]

# Competitive Intelligence Report: [Target Brand]

**URL:** [url] \
**Date:** [current date] \
**Competitors Analyzed:** [count] **Competitive Position: [Strong/Moderate/Weak]**

---

## Executive Summary

[3-4 paragraphs covering competitive landscape, target's position, biggest competitive advantage, biggest competitive threat, and top 3 strategic recommendations]

---

## Competitor Overview

### Direct Competitors

[Summary table with name, URL, positioning, pricing, key differentiator]

### Indirect Competitors

[Summary table]

### Aspirational Competitors

[Summary table]

---

## Detailed Competitor Profiles

### [Competitor A Name]

[Full analysis: messaging, pricing, features, SWOT, social presence, reviews]

### [Competitor B Name]

[Full analysis]

[Repeat for each competitor]

---

## Comparison Tables

### Feature Comparison

[Full feature matrix]

### Pricing Comparison

[Full pricing matrix]

### Review Ratings

[Review intelligence matrix]

### Social Media Presence

[Platform comparison table]

---

## Positioning Map

[Visual positioning map with explanation]

---

## Content & SEO Gap Analysis

[Content gaps, keyword opportunities, comparison page strategy]

---

## SWOT Analysis — [Target Brand]

[Aggregate SWOT based on competitive intelligence]

---

## Strategic Recommendations

### Steal-Worthy Tactics

[5-10 tactics with implementation guidance]

### Differentiation Strategy

[Recommended positioning angles]

### Alternative Pages to Create

[Competitor vs pages with outlines]

### Switching Narratives

[Switching stories and offers for each major competitor]

---

## Competitive Monitoring Plan

[Ongoing monitoring checklist and response playbook]

---

## Next Steps

1. [Most critical competitive action]
2. [Second priority]
3. [Third priority]

Terminal Output

=== COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE REPORT ===

Target: [name]
Competitors Analyzed: [count]
Competitive Position: [Strong/Moderate/Weak]

Competitive Landscape:
  Direct:      [Comp A] (Rating: X/5), [Comp B] (Rating: X/5)
  Indirect:    [Comp C], [Comp D]
  Aspirational: [Comp E]

Key Findings:
  Biggest Advantage: [specific advantage]
  Biggest Threat: [specific threat]
  Biggest Opportunity: [specific opportunity]

Feature Gaps: [X] features competitors have that target lacks
Content Gaps: [X] topics competitors cover that target doesn't
Pricing Position: [Above/At/Below] market average

Top 3 Actions:
  1. [action]
  2. [action]
  3. [action]

Full report saved to: [resolved output_path, e.g. Audit/MARKETKIT - COMPETITOR-REPORT - example.com.md]

Cross-Skill Integration

• If MARKETING-AUDIT.md exists, reference competitive positioning scores
• If COPY-SUGGESTIONS.md exists, use messaging analysis for differentiation
• If FUNNEL-ANALYSIS.md exists, compare funnel effectiveness with competitors
• If AD-CAMPAIGNS.md exists, use competitor intelligence for ad angles
• Suggest follow-up: /marketkit:copy for differentiated messaging, /marketkit:ads for competitive ad campaigns, /marketkit:funnel for conversion comparison