Running a business usually involves some form of competition, and the last thing you want is to be left in the dark. Competitive intelligence is your first step to understanding industry trends, your potential customer and the wider market to gain a significant advantage.

Discover what competitive intelligence is and how you can stay ahead of the curve with competitive intelligence tools and tips from Adobe Express.

What is competitive intelligence?

Competitive intelligence is the process of gathering information on competitors, customers, industry trends and the wider market to inform your business decision-making. It’s a type of analysis that helps you understand market gaps, opportunities and any challenges you might face.

Competitive intelligence research can involve anything that plays a role in your market – from target customers to supply chains. It provides a thorough understanding of your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, which are also key components of a SWOT analysis.

You can use infographics, charts, a presentation, or a report to present competitive intelligence findings. What’s most important is the findings themselves, and how they can help you identify threats and opportunities. The goal is to gain a competitive edge in your industry.

While sometimes used interchangeably with business intelligence, competitive intelligence focuses on a company’s position in the market, whereas business intelligence aims to improve a company’s internal systems.

Why is a competitive intelligence analysis important?

Competitive intelligence offers valuable insights on the market and your competitors, enabling you to make informed decisions for your business. Employing this strategy through research can enable you to:

• Understand competitors’ strengths/weaknesses. Evaluating your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses can help you identify your own unique selling propositions and areas for improvement.
• Find gaps in the market. By analysing competitor offerings and customer feedback, you can spot unfulfilled needs and new industry trends. This could lead to further growth opportunities.
• Identify your customers and their needs. Competitive intelligence helps you understand buyer motivations, preferences and behaviours by examining competitors’ customer bases and market trends.
• Stay one step ahead of rivals. Monitoring competitors’ actions, market trends and industry changes can allow you to adapt quickly, mitigate risks and take advantage of new opportunities.
• Target your business strategies. Leveraging competitive intelligence can help refine your marketing campaigns, product development, pricing and sales tactics – effectively differentiating your brand.

What are the main types of competitive intelligence?

There are two main types of competitive intelligence: strategic and tactical. The type you choose will depend on your business goals and the timeframe you’re addressing. Let’s take a closer look.

Strategic competitive intelligence.

Strategic competitive intelligence focuses on gathering, analysing and applying information to inform long-term business objectives. It analyses industry dynamics and competitors to inform high-level business decisions – from market entry and product development to future investments.

Think of it as a broader brush, with a more comprehensive analysis of your industry and competition. For example, identifying customer feedback to refine your product development and marketing strategy. Strategic competitive intelligence also allows businesses to anticipate potential threats and opportunities proactively. In essence, it helps to ensure a sustained competitive advantage.

Tactical competitive intelligence.

Tactical competitive intelligence collects and analyses short-term information to gain an immediate advantage. It’s a more reactive approach that focuses on specific day-to-day business activities. For example, monitoring competitors’ pricing, promotions and product launches can inform sales strategies.

It’s the opposite of strategic competitive intelligence – aiming for quick wins and solutions rather than long-term business goals. By providing real-time insights, the tactical approach helps to boost current business operations, leading to more granular results. Ultimately, it’s about what can be done today, rather than in a few months.

How to do a competitive intelligence analysis.

Learning how to gather competitive intelligence can help you on your way to gaining a competitive advantage.

Consider these steps to build a competitive intelligence report from start to finish.

1. Work out your main competitors.

All competitive intelligence starts with basic market research. Examine your product and service offerings and your target demographic. From there, you can search nearby businesses that target the same demographics – known as your primary competitors.

2. Start gathering data from different sources.

With your competitors in mind, you can determine the type of data you’ll need as part of your competitive intelligence research. This could include which products or services are being pushed, and why. By defining what you’re looking for, you can narrow down where to look.

3. Organise and analyse your findings.

Use your data to build a competitive intelligence framework. This can include product comparisons or evaluating customer reviews to identify the most common compliments and pain points. You might even use competitive intelligence SEO analysis to compare keywords across marketing channels.

4. Feed your data into business strategies.

Gather your findings and turn them into actionable results. This is your chance to communicate the conclusions you drew from your analysis and why they matter. The goal is to convince stakeholders to take action and make strategic decisions.

5. Track data continuously.

Competitive intelligence analysis isn’t a one-off process. Even when you’ve gathered valuable insights and actioned them accordingly, market conditions are constantly changing. The best solution is to consistently gather data and action competitive intelligence reports regularly to stay current.

Presenting competitive research visually with Adobe Express.

Competitive intelligence involves a lot of moving parts but beyond that you’ll want to present your findings in the best possible way. Adobe Express has tools that can help you achieve just that.

1. Make infographics for free.

Create an infographic and turn your competitive intelligence research into engaging visuals. Highlight key trends, comparisons and insights with eye-catching elements that effectively communicate your findings.

2. Create impactful charts and graphs.

Graphs and charts are excellent ways to visualise trends, compare competitors and illustrate complex data in a clear and memorable way. Consider line charts for trends or bar graphs for competitor comparisons to sway stakeholders.

3. Present your findings clearly.

Showcase your competitive intelligence as a presentation to truly capture your audience. Focus on a clear story with visual data representations and use interactive visuals like images and graphs to communicate your insights.

4. Write a business report.

Provide competitive intelligence insights with a professional business report. Include an executive summary, market analysis, competitor profiles, and more. This structured approach can help identify threats and opportunities and inform decision-making.

Showcase your findings with our free AI presentation maker.

Competitive intelligence doesn’t have to be dull. Transform your data-driven insights into visually appealing slides with Adobe Express’s AI Presentation Maker tool. There’s no need to start from scratch – simply import your slides filled with striking elements and edit to your heart’s content. Explore various templates and design assets to make your competitive intelligence presentation pop. Include AI text effects for visual flair or generate high-quality images to complement your slides.

Whatever your findings, the AI presentation maker can communicate your insights in style. All it takes is just a few clicks – no design experience needed.

Try Adobe Express for free now

Good to know.

What is competitive intelligence software?

Competitive intelligence software helps businesses gather, track and analyse data based on market trends, customers and competitors. It systematically collects and processes vast amounts of information from various sources to provide actionable insights. Software designed for competitive intelligence does all the heavy lifting, allowing businesses to focus on refining their strategy.

Is business intelligence the same as competitive intelligence?

No, business intelligence isn’t the same as competitive intelligence, but they are connected. Business intelligence is a broader practice that analyses internal data to improve business operations and performance. Competitive intelligence, by contrast, is a specific type of business intelligence that focuses on external information to gain a competitive advantage.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.