AMA: Amazon Head of Product Marketing, AWS OpenSource Analytics, Kate Hodgins on Competitive Positioning

This is a great question! I must admit, the recently resurfaced Coke vs. Pepsi ad with the young boy standing on two coke cans to purchase Pepsi is pretty entertaining. However, it was banned. I call this out because it highlights that there is a need to really think through not only how you develop competitive positioning, but how that positioning gets translated into messaging and marketing strategies. While these campaigns may be a bit older; I find they still provide a good north star for co ...Read More

When it comes to sharing competitive info with your sales team, it’s key to think about where they’re already active and how they get their updates. It’s also smart to chat with sales leadership to figure out the best timing and methods so that the info is useful, not overwhelming. Here are some practical tips that have worked for me: Communication Channels: Keep your team in the loop with a variety of communication methods. Set up regular meetings or briefings, like monthly community calls, lun ...Read More

I can think of several common mistakes companies make when trying to differentiate their product. However, I'm going to focus on a few key ones: Overemphasizing features instead of benefits. AI is a great example of this. We hear a lot of buzzwords like "AI-enhanced" and "AI-powered." AI is a feature, not the end goal. Customers aren't really interested in the technology itself per se; they care about how it helps them. If your messaging doesn’t clearly articulate the tangible benefits—how your ...Read More

Customer-facing teams are important CI efforts because they give real-time, on-the-ground feedback and insights. They’re talking to customers daily, so they have a firsthand look at what’s working, what’s not, and how competitors are stacking up. This kind of direct insight helps us understand market trends and customer needs better. Here’s why this matters: Real-Time Feedback: They give us the latest intel on what customers are saying and what competitors are doing, so we can make better decisi ...Read More