Odds Are, You’re Missing One of the Core Components of a Good Strategy
And it’s not vision, or customer insight, or your value proposition...
Years ago, I worked with a client desperate to break into a new customer segment. They had everything lined up: a compelling product, strong messaging, and a modest budget to run some geo-targeted campaigns in a few test cities.
But every time they launched a test, every single time, their biggest competitor would swoop in like a hawk. They’d buy up all the media in that market within days, flood the airwaves, and completely disrupt any chance of my client getting any clean data back.
At first, we thought it was a coincidence. Then, paranoia set in with the client. What I realised was that the problem was actually a matter of strategy. Ruthless, brilliant, deliberate strategy.
The competitor wasn’t waiting to defend its turf; they were watching, and proactively undermining any serious threat before it had a chance to scale. My client was playing checkers. Their competitor? Chess.
Yes, it was bloody frustrating. But it was also a masterclass in what good strategy looks like.
Strategy Isn't Just About What You Do. It's About What You Prevent
We spend a considerable amount of time in marketing discussing customer-centricity. And rightly so. Knowing what your customer wants, what motivates them, and what problems they’re trying to solve is foundational to any commercial success.
But that’s not the whole picture. A strategy that only answers how we win customers is only doing half the job.
The other half?
Defending your position and disarming the competition.
Think of the greatest strategy stories in business:
Amazon is willing to make a loss for years if it means outlasting the competition.
Apple locks users into a beautifully closed ecosystem that makes switching feel like betrayal.
Meta doesn’t wait for social upstarts to grow; they either buy them or clone them.
Nike signs your heroes early and signs them exclusively, so you’re buying your dreams, not just their trainers.
These moves aren’t just designed to attract customers. Instead, they’re designed to make it impossible for competitors to grow. They defend, deflect, and disable.
I am in no way advocating that we all start playing dirty. But we do need to play smarter. If your strategy doesn’t include a plan to block, blunt or bypass competitive threats, then it’s not really a strategy. It’s a hope.
Why Most Strategies Ignore This
There are a few common reasons marketers and business leaders forget to bake this into their plans:
We’re trained to be customer-first. Marketing textbooks, frameworks and agencies all reinforce this. But customer-first doesn’t mean competitor-blind.
We fear looking aggressive. Especially in brand-led organisations or regulated industries, strategic defence can feel confrontational or even unseemly. So we politely ignore the competition while they quietly dismantle our edge.
We assume we’ll deal with it later. Many leaders think, “Let’s just get product-market fit first, and we’ll worry about the competition after.” But by then it’s too late. Your window of opportunity has closed, and someone else is standing in it.
We confuse tactics with strategy. Most plans are just a list of to-dos. Ads to run. Channels to test. Content to make. But you will hear me say this continuously - strategy isn’t a task list, it’s a series of moves. And some of those moves need to account for the other player on the board.
Does Your Strategy Hold Up?
When reviewing your strategy, there’s one deceptively simple question I encourage my clients to ask:
What are your competitors hoping you’re too scared, slow, or polite to do?
Sit with that for a second.
It’s a powerful reframing tool. It forces you to think about your own blind spots, as seen through the eyes of your competition. It highlights where you're vulnerable and where you’re being too cautious or idealistic.
Maybe your competitors hope you won’t:
Launch a budget version that undercuts them.
Bring in that influential voice as your ambassador.
Offer an outrageous guarantee that resets buyer expectations.
Create a proprietary system or standard that makes alternatives obsolete.
Partner up with an unexpected brand or channel to leapfrog into new territory.
These aren’t always the right moves, but they’re worth exploring if you’re serious about growth. Playing not to lose is not the same as playing to win.
Practical Ways to Strengthen Your Strategy
If this resonates, you might be wondering: How do I actually put this into practice? Here are five concrete steps you can take this week.
1. Map the Competitive Landscape Proactively
Create a ‘competitive heatmap’ for your category. Include not just direct competitors, but also substitutes - what else customers might choose instead of you.
For each player, note:
Their core strengths and weaknesses.
Their customer segments and pricing.
Their messaging and recent campaigns.
What you think their strategy is.
What they might do if you grow too fast.
By asking these questions you are getting more informed and starting to play the long game.
2. Identify Your Defensive Moats
Ask:
“What makes it hard for others to copy or compete with us?”
Then ask:
“How can we double down on that?
Defensive moats can include things like:
Exclusive partnerships
Intellectual property or proprietary processes
Brand loyalty and switching costs
Network effects (e.g., platforms or communities)
Speed to market or cost advantages
If you don’t have any moats yet, now’s the time to build one.
3. Scenario Plan Your Weak Spots
Pick three realistic competitor actions that could hurt you in the next 6–12 months. For each, brainstorm:
What would they need to do?
How likely is it?
What would the impact be?
What’s your counterplay?
This is especially critical in fast-moving or price-sensitive categories. Being prepared makes you less reactive and much more strategic.
4. Test ‘Block Moves’ in Small Ways
Not all block strategies need to be grand gestures. You can test small defensive or offensive moves like:
Locking in a limited-time exclusivity with a key channel or influencer.
Piloting a parallel pricing structure or limited edition to target a new segment.
Creating a referral programme that leverages current customer loyalty before a competitor arrives.
The point isn’t to go to war. It’s to send a signal to the market and your competitors that you’re watching too.
5. Reframe Your Metrics
If your strategy is too focused on internal or customer metrics, such as MQLs, brand awareness, or sales conversion, you’ll miss the bigger picture.
Start tracking strategic indicators too:
Share of voice in key media or search categories.
Speed to copy (how quickly competitors mimic your moves).
Win/loss rates in competitive pitches.
Customer or partner exclusivity retention.
Category narratives - who’s defining the conversation?
These tell you whether you’re leading or reacting. And whether you’re building momentum or bleeding edge.
The Bottom Line
Strategy isn’t just about being customer-focused. It’s about being market-focused. That means understanding how customers buy, how competitors behave, and where your next threat might come from, even if it’s not visible yet.
The best strategists are part psychologist, part chess player, and part poker pro.
They understand people, anticipate moves, and know when to bluff, hold, or go all in.
So, as you look at your next 6–12 month plan, don’t just ask what your customers want. Ask what your competitors hope you’ll overlook. That’s where your leverage lives.
Reflections for You (or Your Team)
Where are we assuming politeness or fairness when we should be playing to win?
What would we do if our top competitor doubled their spend tomorrow?
Which customer segment are we letting others dominate, because we think it’s “not for us”?
What unspoken rules of the category are holding us back?
How are we making life harder for our competitors (without hurting customers)?
A goal without a plan is just a wish. But a plan without a competitive strategy is just naïve.
If you’re ready to be more than a great marketer, if you want to be a great strategist, build your playbook with both customers and competitors in mind.
The market rewards those who move with courage, clarity, and just a little bit of cunning.
See you next week!
Emma
Built To Last is written for strategic marketers who want to lead the boardroom, not just fill the funnel.
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