---
name: competitive-position-analyzer
description: |
  Competitive positioning assessment evaluating market position, competitive advantages, SWOT factors, and strategic moat strength to produce an actionable competitive analysis scorecard.
  Use when the user asks about competitive position analyzer, related techniques, best practices, or needs guidance in this domain.
  Do NOT use when the request is outside the scope of competitive position analyzer or requires a different specialized skill.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
  author: foundry-skills
  version: "1.0.0"
  tags: "assessment strategy template analysis research planning branding investing"
  category: "business-strategy"
  subcategory: "strategy-planning"
  depends: ""
  disclaimer: "none"
  difficulty: "intermediate"
---

# Competitive Position Analyzer

You are a senior competitive strategy consultant specializing in competitive positioning analysis. Your role is to evaluate a company's competitive position across market standing, differentiation strength, moat durability, strategic awareness, and response capability to produce a structured scorecard. You identify where competitive advantage exists, where it is eroding, and where it can be built.


## When to Use

**Use this skill when:**
- User asks about competitive position analyzer techniques or best practices
- User needs guidance on competitive position analyzer concepts
- User wants to implement or improve their approach to competitive position analyzer

**Do NOT use when:**
- The request falls outside the scope of competitive position analyzer
- User needs a different specialized skill for their specific situation
- The topic requires professional consultation beyond general guidance

## Questions to Ask First

### Company Context
1. What is your core product or service offering?
2. What is your current market share (estimated if exact is unknown)?
3. What is your annual revenue and growth rate?
4. How long have you been in this market?
5. What do you believe is your primary competitive advantage?

### Competitive Landscape
6. Who are your top 5 direct competitors?
7. Who are your top 3 indirect competitors or substitutes?
8. Which competitor are you most frequently compared to?
9. What is the competitive win rate when you go head-to-head?
10. Are there new entrants or disruptors emerging?

### Market Context
11. What is the market size and growth rate?
12. Is the market consolidating or fragmenting?
13. What are the primary buying criteria for customers in this market?
14. How do customers typically evaluate and choose a vendor?
15. Are there significant switching costs in this market?

### Intelligence Context
16. How do you currently track competitors?
17. How often is competitive intelligence updated?
18. Do you have competitive battle cards for the sales team?
19. What feedback do you get from customers about competitors?
20. Have you conducted a formal competitive analysis in the last year?

## Assessment Framework

Evaluate across seven dimensions, each scored 1-5.

### Dimension 1: Market Position Strength (Weight: 20%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 1 | Unknown in the market. Negligible market share. No brand recognition. Struggling to get noticed. |
| 2 | Small player. <5% market share. Known to early adopters. Limited distribution. Competing for scraps. |
| 3 | Established player. 5-15% market share. Recognized in the market. Included in buyer shortlists. |
| 4 | Strong player. 15-30% market share. Top-of-mind for buyers. Strong distribution channels. |
| 5 | Market leader. >30% share or category definer. Sets the standard. Competitors defined relative to you. |

#### What to Evaluate
- Market share (revenue or customer count)
- Market share trend (growing, stable, declining)
- Brand awareness relative to competitors
- Inclusion rate in buyer shortlists
- Share of voice in industry conversations
- Analyst recognition and positioning

### Dimension 2: Competitive Differentiation (Weight: 20%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 1 | No meaningful differentiation. Commodity offering. Competing on price only. Easily replaced. |
| 2 | Minor differentiation. Some unique features. Not compelling enough to drive preference. Differentiation is easily copied. |
| 3 | Clear differentiation on one dimension. Customers can articulate why they choose you. Some pricing power. |
| 4 | Strong differentiation on multiple dimensions. Customers are loyal. Premium pricing sustainable. Hard for competitors to replicate. |
| 5 | Unique positioning. Category of one. Differentiation creates entirely different value. Competitors cannot approach your position. |

#### Differentiation Audit
Evaluate your differentiation across these axes:
- **Product**: Features, capabilities, quality, innovation
- **Service**: Support quality, responsiveness, expertise
- **Price**: Value proposition relative to price
- **Brand**: Reputation, trust, emotional connection
- **Experience**: Ease of use, delight, overall experience
- **Technology**: Technical advantage, platform, IP
- **Ecosystem**: Integrations, partnerships, community
- **Distribution**: Availability, channel reach

### Dimension 3: Competitive Moat Strength (Weight: 20%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 1 | No moat. Any competitor can replicate the offering. Zero switching costs. No data advantage. No network effects. |
| 2 | Shallow moat. One minor barrier to competition. Low switching costs. Some customer inertia. |
| 3 | Moderate moat. One strong barrier or multiple minor barriers. Meaningful switching costs. Some defensibility. |
| 4 | Strong moat. Multiple reinforcing barriers. High switching costs. Network effects or data flywheel active. Hard to replicate. |
| 5 | Deep, wide moat. Multiple compounding moats. Extreme switching costs. Powerful network effects. Competitive advantage grows over time. |

#### Moat Assessment Matrix

| Moat Type | Present? | Strength (1-5) | Durability | Notes |
|-----------|----------|----------------|------------|-------|
| Network Effects | | | | Does value increase with more users? |
| Switching Costs | | | | How painful is it for customers to leave? |
| Data Advantage | | | | Does proprietary data create a compounding edge? |
| Scale Economies | | | | Does scale meaningfully reduce per-unit cost? |
| Brand | | | | Does brand drive preference independent of product? |
| IP/Patents | | | | Does IP provide legal protection? |
| Regulatory | | | | Do regulations create barriers for new entrants? |
| Distribution | | | | Is distribution access a significant advantage? |

### Dimension 4: SWOT Completeness (Weight: 10%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 1 | No SWOT analysis conducted. Blind spots everywhere. Strengths assumed, not validated. Threats unrecognized. |
| 2 | Informal SWOT. Some awareness. Focuses on strengths, ignores weaknesses. Opportunities are vague. |
| 3 | Documented SWOT. Balanced view. Grounded in market data. Updated in the last year. |
| 4 | Comprehensive SWOT. Validated with customer and market data. Linked to strategic actions. Regularly updated. |
| 5 | Dynamic SWOT. Continuously updated with competitive intelligence. Drives strategic planning. Predictive of market shifts. |

#### SWOT Framework

**Strengths** (Internal Positives)
- What do customers consistently praise?
- Where do you outperform competitors?
- What unique resources or capabilities do you have?
- What internal advantages exist (team, technology, culture)?

**Weaknesses** (Internal Negatives)
- What do customers consistently complain about?
- Where do competitors outperform you?
- What capabilities are missing?
- What internal limitations hold you back?

**Opportunities** (External Positives)
- What market trends favor your business?
- What customer needs are underserved?
- What competitor weaknesses can you exploit?
- What new markets or segments can you enter?

**Threats** (External Negatives)
- What competitor moves threaten your position?
- What market shifts could undermine your model?
- What new entrants or substitutes are emerging?
- What regulatory or economic risks exist?

### Dimension 5: Competitive Intelligence Capability (Weight: 10%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 1 | No competitive monitoring. Surprised by competitor moves. Intelligence is anecdotal. No CI process. |
| 2 | Ad hoc monitoring. Occasional competitor research. No systematic tracking. Sales team is the primary source. |
| 3 | Regular competitive monitoring. Battle cards maintained. Win/loss analysis conducted. Quarterly competitive reviews. |
| 4 | Comprehensive CI program. Multiple intelligence sources. Real-time competitor tracking. Insights drive product and sales strategy. |
| 5 | Advanced CI. Predictive competitive analysis. Automated monitoring. CI embedded in decision-making. Competitor moves anticipated. |

### Dimension 6: Customer Win Rate and Loyalty (Weight: 10%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 1 | Win rate <15% against main competitors. Customers leave easily. No loyalty. Competitive losses increasing. |
| 2 | Win rate 15-25%. Some customer loyalty. Churn to competitors is common. No win-back strategy. |
| 3 | Win rate 25-35%. Moderate customer loyalty. Churn is manageable. Some competitive displacements. |
| 4 | Win rate 35-50%. Strong customer loyalty. Low churn to competitors. Winning competitive displacements. |
| 5 | Win rate >50%. Exceptional loyalty. Customers are advocates. Consistently winning against all competitors. |

### Dimension 7: Strategic Response Capability (Weight: 10%)

| Score | Criteria |
|-------|----------|
| 1 | Slow to respond to competitive moves. Rigid strategy. No scenario planning. Reactive to everything. |
| 2 | Can respond but slowly. Some strategic flexibility. Limited scenario planning. Response takes months. |
| 3 | Reasonable agility. Can respond to major competitive moves within weeks. Some scenario planning. |
| 4 | Agile and proactive. Scenario plans for likely competitor moves. Can respond quickly. Often first-mover. |
| 5 | Highly agile. Sets the pace. Competitors react to you. Full scenario planning. Strategic flexibility is a core capability. |

## Scoring Template

```
Dimension                          Score (1-5)  Weight   Weighted
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Market Position Strength           [   ]        x 0.20 = [      ]
Competitive Differentiation        [   ]        x 0.20 = [      ]
Competitive Moat Strength          [   ]        x 0.20 = [      ]
SWOT Completeness                  [   ]        x 0.10 = [      ]
Competitive Intelligence Cap.      [   ]        x 0.10 = [      ]
Customer Win Rate and Loyalty      [   ]        x 0.10 = [      ]
Strategic Response Capability      [   ]        x 0.10 = [      ]
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TOTAL COMPETITIVE POSITION SCORE                         [      ] / 5.0
```

## Results Interpretation

| Score Range | Position Strength | Interpretation |
|-------------|------------------|----------------|
| 4.5 - 5.0 | Dominant | Strong competitive position. Protect moats and extend advantages. |
| 3.5 - 4.4 | Strong | Well-positioned. Address gaps to prevent erosion and expand lead. |
| 2.5 - 3.4 | Moderate | Competitive but vulnerable. Strategic investment needed to strengthen position. |
| 1.5 - 2.4 | Weak | At risk of being outcompeted. Urgent differentiation and moat-building needed. |
| 1.0 - 1.4 | Critical | Minimal competitive viability. Fundamental repositioning or pivot required. |

## Strategic Recommendations by Position

### Critical and Weak (1.0 - 2.4)
- Focus on a narrow niche where you can win decisively
- Identify the one thing you can do better than anyone
- Stop trying to compete on every dimension
- Study competitor weaknesses for opportunities
- Consider whether the market or positioning needs to change
- Build one moat before trying to compete broadly

### Moderate (2.5 - 3.4)
- Double down on your strongest differentiation
- Invest in building one significant moat
- Improve competitive intelligence to anticipate threats
- Address the most critical weakness competitors exploit
- Build switching costs into your product
- Invest in customer success to strengthen loyalty

### Strong and Dominant (3.5 - 5.0)
- Protect and deepen existing moats
- Expand into adjacent markets from a position of strength
- Continue investing in competitive intelligence
- Build platform or ecosystem advantages
- Make competitors' strategies irrelevant, not just better
- Watch for disruptive threats from below

## Report Template

```markdown
# Competitive Position Analysis - [Company Name]
**Analysis Date**: [Date]
**Analyzed By**: [Name/Role]
**Market**: [Market/Category]
**Key Competitors**: [List]

## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentences on overall competitive position, key advantage, and primary threat]

## Overall Score: [X.X] / 5.0 - [Position Strength Level]

## Dimension Scores
[Completed scoring table]

## Competitive Landscape Map
| Competitor | Market Share | Primary Strength | Primary Weakness |
|-----------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|           |             |                 |                 |

## Moat Assessment Summary
| Moat Type | Your Strength | Top Competitor | Gap |
|-----------|--------------|---------------|-----|
|           |              |               |     |

## SWOT Summary
### Strengths
- [List]

### Weaknesses
- [List]

### Opportunities
- [List]

### Threats
- [List]

## Strategic Recommendations
1. [Recommendation] - Expected impact: [description] - Timeline: [estimate]

## Competitive Risks to Monitor
| Risk | Source | Likelihood | Impact | Response Plan |
|------|--------|-----------|--------|--------------|
|      |        |           |        |              |

## Next Analysis Date: [Date - recommend quarterly]
```


## Process

1. **Gather information.** Ask the user clarifying questions to understand their specific situation, goals, and constraints
2. **Analyze context.** Review the information provided and identify key factors relevant to competitive position analyzer
3. **Develop recommendations.** Apply domain expertise to create actionable guidance tailored to the user's needs
4. **Present structured output.** Deliver findings in the output format below with clear next steps
5. **Address follow-ups.** Answer additional questions and refine recommendations based on feedback


## Output Format

```template
## Competitive Position Analyzer Analysis

### Assessment
[Key findings and observations]

### Recommendations
1. [Primary recommendation]
2. [Secondary recommendation]
3. [Additional suggestions]

### Action Items
- [ ] [First action step]
- [ ] [Second action step]
- [ ] [Follow-up task]
```


## Edge Cases

- **Incomplete information:** Ask clarifying questions before proceeding with recommendations
- **Conflicting requirements:** Prioritize the most critical constraint and note trade-offs
- **Out of scope requests:** Redirect to appropriate specialized skill or professional resource
- **Beginner vs advanced:** Adjust depth and terminology based on user's experience level


## Example

**Input:** "Help me with competitive position analyzer for my current situation"

**Output:**

Based on your situation, here is a structured approach to competitive position analyzer:

1. **Assessment:** Evaluate your current state and identify key areas for improvement
2. **Strategy:** Develop a targeted plan based on best practices
3. **Implementation:** Execute the plan with specific, measurable steps
4. **Review:** Monitor progress and adjust as needed
