Reverse Engineering the Competitors Digital Marketing Strategy with Khalil Guliwala

Our latest blog prepared by Khalil Guliwala, is an in-depth look at reverse engineering to get a grasp on an organizations digital marketing strategy. 

The best way to ethically understand your competition is to analyze the digital footprint they leave in social media posts, retargeting ads, emails, websites, apps, and podcasts.

Recognizing their traces, and strategy allows you to anticipate the discussions and decisions your competitors are having daily to increase revenue and build brand awareness.

The 4 Steps

• Step 1: Run an online search for the company or product
• Step 2: Visit the company’s website and get on the email list
• Step 3: Analyze the email and social media content
• Step 4: Map out stores carrying their products

 Consider Mid-Day Squares (MDS), a High-Protein Chocolate Bar company.

Step 1: Search for the company or product online

Despite selling their products direct-to-customer (DTC) on their company website, their ads are through third parties like Natura Market, etc.

It could mean:

MDS might still have a DTC program in the infancy stage, which is why they are not investing in sponsored ads like more mature companies. 

Ask yourself:

Would it be an advantage for my company to invest in google ads to re-direct to my product?

Step 2: Get on the email list

Purpose:

• To understand key branding and positioning statements
• Notice the word “functional”, and the mention of a podcast.

It could mean:

The podcast is being used to build customer engagement.

Ask yourself: 

• What insights can you gain by listening to their podcast?
• Should you invest in something similar?
• Are they avoiding the “protein” category and creating a new “functional” category?
• How could this affect the messaging you use for your brand(s)?

Step 3: Analyze the email and social media content

3.a Analyzing email content

Purpose:

When you sign up for a newsletter, the sequence of emails you receive is designed to convert a user from the engagement funnel from interested to purchaser. Observing key messaging, can reveal the company’s key value propositions, and their marketing strategies.

Email 1:

What you see:

• Sender is “Lez at Mid-Day Squares” 
• Messaging to “Stay for the story!”

What it could mean:

MDS is going for a “human” tone (speaking to you) rather than a “corporate” tone (speaking at you) 

Purpose:

• Understand acquisition tactics
• $5 coupon

It could mean: 

• Coupons are used primarily when acquisition needs to be nudged

Ask yourself:

• Do you have similar campaigns in place? Should you include a coupon, and if so, do you place it at $5 or higher?

Email 2:

What you see:

• “Unapologetically ourselves” = MDS 
• Photo of the Founders
• Promotion of their products (notice how they’re holding their products in their hands, with the script large enough for you to read)

It could mean:

• MDS is continuing with the “human” tone (speaking to you), and is starting to promote their product range in a similar “human” way (in their hands)

 

Email 3:

What you see: 

• MDS doesn’t have the “Budget” (word is prominent on the top) of “Other 
  Big Brands” and what they did to work around this

It could mean:

• Products continue to be featured at the top and integrated with the history of how they grew

 

 

 

3.b Social Media

What you see: 

• Facebook feed starts having Sponsored Ads from both MDS as well as  Affiliates

 What it could mean:

• Ad spend on social is not cheap, and they’re using a multi-channel (email, social) strategy

Ask yourself:

• With their brand voice emphasizing being the underdog, young entrepreneurs, use of influencer-type visuals, and humor, is their target client skewing young (18-28 year olds)?
• Is this a segment that my company is in and, if so, have we been losing market? 
• What can I learn from their messaging to connect better with my ideal customer? 
• Does my brand have a multi-channel strategy, and if not, should I invest in one?

Step 4: Map out physical locations (stores) 

Purpose:

• Understand product availability by geography and market penetration

What you see:

• MDS is available Montreal (769) > Toronto (683) > Vancouver (334) > New York (256) > LA (254)

 What it could mean:

• MDS is heavily present in Canada followed by the US

Ask yourself:

• How are MDS expanding into new markets?
• Is their goal to convert all in-store purchasers into online purchasers who buy directly through their website?
• What is my market penetration in these locations, and has market share been growing or shrinking?

If your competitor is service-based:

• Sign-up for their webinars. Look at the case studies they produce. Note the name of the latest client they brag about on social media or the latest conference they are going to sponsor or attend.

Like a hunter who can get into the mind of his prey by following its footprints, by tracking your competitors digitally, you can reverse engineer their digital strategies. Companies are signaling their strategies all the time; all you have to do is know how and where to look.

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