Is competitive positioning an output of a feature or a marketing story?

I think you've taken the right approach! I would never recommend only building out your positioning based on features or products. You need a full, compelling story which should include non-product things as well as product-related things. Non-product things could be services you offer, training classes or certifications you give, industries or personas you specialize in, etc. Building out a full story including all of your unique value propositions and differentiators allows you to have a bette ...Read More

Competitive positioning is neither just an output of features nor purely a marketing story—it’s the strategic intersection of product differentiation, customer perception, and GTM execution. Features Alone Don’t Create Positioning Problem: Features can be copied.Example: Webex and Microsoft Teams had more features than Zoom, but Zoom won by positioning itself as the fastest, easiest, and most reliable option. Marketing Alone Can’t Manufacture Differentiation Problem: If the product doesn’t deliv ...Read More

Good competitive positioning IMO has to do both. Grounding your competitive positioning in features as the tangible, objective capabilities of your product is important. However, the marketing story is how you translate those features into a narrative that resonates with your target audience and taps into their painpoints, desire, and emotions. To be more concrete, take Company A that primarily appeals to buyers based on a comparison list of features/functionality and what they have that their c ...Read More

Here's my two-cents: Your feature/product will always have the same competitors. You may see additional competitors in deals as you create new products/features AND these competitors may not recognize you as a true competitor until you're larger (i.e, at Mercury traditional banks were our competitor, but they didn't care about us; same with Concur at Brex). However, your competitive set wouldn't change. Competitors can (and often do) have the same basic positioning (just look at "corporate cards ...Read More

Here is how I think about competitive positioning: it is never just a feature story. And here is why: Features alone don't get market shareIf your positioning is an output of features alone, you're in a race to the bottom. Every competitor can match a feature, eventually. Few can match a well-built market narrative backed by a strong product, a clear point of view, and a loyal customer base. Lead with a bigger story, back it with product Look at companies that consistently win in competitive mar ...Read More

I would say it's both. Competitive positioning attracts customers who resonate with your approach and empowers sales teams to highlight key differentiations effectively. However, the success of competitive positioning hinges on the integration of product features that underscore your competitive advantage, ensuring a unified and compelling narrative about your brand's strengths and specialties. This synergy between product development and marketing strategy is crucial for conveying a clear and c ...Read More

Everything is a marketing story when it comes to communicating with customers. ;) Competitive positioning should be an output from competitive analysis. If you’re not seeing your competitive positioning resonating with your audience, then you need to go back to your analysis.  I’ve often found that PMMs approach competitive analysis from a feature-comparison perspective. While that can be helpful, it is not the full picture. It’s far too limited, and you cannot create a strong story from this.  ...Read More