PaperclipOrg
Claude Agent Skill · by Anthropics

Competitive Brief

Install Competitive Brief skill for Claude Code from anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins.

Install
Terminal · npx
$npx skills add https://github.com/obra/superpowers --skill brainstorming
Works with Paperclip

How Competitive Brief fits into a Paperclip company.

Competitive Brief drops into any Paperclip agent that handles this kind of work. Assign it to a specialist inside a pre-configured PaperclipOrg company and the skill becomes available on every heartbeat — no prompt engineering, no tool wiring.

S
SaaS FactoryPaired

Pre-configured AI company — 18 agents, 18 skills, one-time purchase.

$27$59
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Source file
SKILL.md331 lines
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---name: competitive-briefdescription: Research competitors and generate a positioning and messaging comparison with content gaps, opportunities, and threats. Use when building sales battlecards, when finding positioning gaps and messaging angles competitors haven't claimed, or when a competitor makes a move and you need to assess the impact.argument-hint: "<competitor or market segment>"--- # Competitive Brief > If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see [CONNECTORS.md](../../CONNECTORS.md). Research competitors and generate a structured competitive analysis comparing positioning, messaging, content strategy, and market presence. ## Trigger User runs `/competitive-brief` or asks for a competitive analysis, competitor research, or market comparison. ## Inputs Gather the following from the user: 1. **Competitor name(s)** — one or more competitors to analyze (required) 2. **Your company/product context** (optional but recommended):   - What you sell and to whom   - Your positioning or value proposition   - Key differentiators you want to highlight 3. **Focus areas** (optional — if not specified, cover all):   - Messaging and positioning   - Product and feature comparison   - Content and thought leadership strategy   - Recent announcements and news   - Pricing and packaging (if publicly available)   - Market presence and audience ## Research Process For each competitor, research using web search: 1. **Company website** — homepage messaging, product pages, about page, pricing page2. **Recent news** — press releases, funding announcements, product launches, partnerships (last 6 months)3. **Content strategy** — blog topics, resource types, social media presence, webinars, podcasts4. **Review sites and comparisons** — third-party comparisons, analyst mentions, customer review themes5. **Job postings** — hiring signals that indicate strategic direction (optional) ### Research Sources Gather intelligence from these categories of sources: #### Primary Sources (Direct from Competitor)- **Website**: homepage, product pages, pricing, about page, careers- **Blog and resource center**: content themes, publishing frequency, depth- **Social media profiles**: messaging, engagement, content strategy- **Product demos and free trials**: UX, features, onboarding experience- **Webinars and events**: topics, speakers, audience engagement- **Press releases and newsroom**: announcements, partnerships, milestones- **Job postings**: hiring signals that reveal strategic priorities (e.g., hiring for a new product line or market) #### Secondary Sources (Third-Party)- **Review sites**: G2, Capterra, TrustRadius, Product Hunt — customer sentiment themes- **Analyst reports**: Gartner, Forrester, IDC — market positioning and category placement- **News coverage**: TechCrunch, industry publications — funding, partnerships, narrative- **Social listening**: mentions, sentiment, share of voice across social platforms- **SEO tools**: keyword rankings, organic traffic estimates, content gaps- **Financial filings**: revenue, growth rate, investment areas (for public companies)- **Community forums**: community forums (e.g. Reddit, Discourse), industry chat groups (e.g. Slack communities) — user sentiment ### Research Cadence- **Deep competitive analysis**: quarterly (full research across all sources)- **Competitive monitoring**: monthly (scan for new announcements, content, messaging changes)- **Real-time alerts**: ongoing (set up alerts for competitor brand mentions, press, job postings) ## Competitive Brief Structure ### 1. Executive Summary- 2-3 sentence overview of the competitive landscape- Key takeaway: your biggest opportunity and biggest threat ### 2. Competitor Profiles For each competitor: #### Company Overview- What they do (one-sentence positioning)- Target audience- Company size/stage indicators (funding, employee count if available)- Key recent developments #### Messaging Analysis- Primary tagline or headline- Core value proposition- Key messaging themes (3-5)- Tone and voice characterization- How they describe the problem they solve #### Product/Solution Positioning- How they categorize their product- Key features they emphasize- Claimed differentiators- Pricing approach (if publicly available) #### Content Strategy- Blog frequency and topics- Content types produced (ebooks, webinars, case studies, tools)- Social media presence and engagement approach- Thought leadership themes- SEO strategy observations (what terms they appear to target) #### Strengths- What they do well- Where their messaging resonates- Competitive advantages #### Weaknesses- Gaps in their messaging or positioning- Areas where they are vulnerable- Customer complaints or criticism themes (from reviews) ### 3. Messaging Comparison Matrix | Dimension | Your Company | Competitor A | Competitor B ||-----------|-------------|--------------|--------------|| Primary tagline | ... | ... | ... || Target buyer | ... | ... | ... || Key differentiator | ... | ... | ... || Tone/voice | ... | ... | ... || Core value prop | ... | ... | ... | (Include user's company only if they provided their positioning context) ### 4. Content Gap Analysis- Topics your competitors cover that you do not (or vice versa)- Content formats they use that you could adopt- Keywords or themes they own vs. opportunities they have missed ### 5. Opportunities- Positioning gaps you can exploit- Messaging angles your competitors have not claimed- Audience segments they are underserving- Content or channel opportunities ### 6. Threats- Areas where competitors are strong and you are vulnerable- Trends that favor their positioning- Recent moves that could shift the market ### 7. Recommended Actions- 3-5 specific, actionable recommendations based on the analysis- Quick wins (things you can act on this week)- Strategic moves (longer-term positioning or content investments) ## Analysis Frameworks ### Messaging Comparison Frameworks #### Value Proposition Comparison For each competitor, document:- **Promise**: what they promise the customer will achieve- **Evidence**: how they prove the promise (data, testimonials, demos)- **Mechanism**: how their product delivers on the promise (the "how it works")- **Uniqueness**: what they claim only they can do #### Narrative Analysis Identify each competitor's story arc:- **Villain**: what problem or enemy they position against (status quo, legacy tools, complexity)- **Hero**: who is the hero in their story (the customer? the product? the team?)- **Transformation**: what before/after do they promise?- **Stakes**: what happens if you do not act? This reveals positioning strategy and emotional appeals. #### Messaging Strengths and Vulnerabilities For each competitor's messaging, assess:- **Clarity**: can a first-time visitor understand what they do in 5 seconds?- **Differentiation**: is their positioning distinct or generic?- **Proof**: do they back up claims with evidence?- **Consistency**: is messaging consistent across channels?- **Resonance**: does their messaging address real customer pain points? ### Content Gap Analysis Methodology #### Content Audit Comparison Map content across competitors by: | Topic/Theme | Your Content | Competitor A | Competitor B | Gap? ||-------------|-------------|--------------|--------------|------|| [Topic 1] | Blog post, ebook | Blog series, webinar | Nothing | Opportunity for B || [Topic 2] | Nothing | Whitepaper | Blog post, video | Gap for you || [Topic 3] | Case study | Nothing | Case study | Parity | #### Content Type Coverage | Content Format | You | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C ||----------------|-----|--------|--------|--------|| Blog posts | Y | Y | Y | Y || Case studies | Y | Y | N | Y || Ebooks/Whitepapers | N | Y | Y | N || Webinars | Y | Y | Y | N || Podcast | N | N | Y | N || Video content | N | Y | Y | Y || Interactive tools | N | N | N | Y || Templates/Resources | Y | N | Y | N | #### Identifying Content Opportunities1. **Topics they cover that you do not**: potential gaps in your content strategy2. **Topics you cover that they do not**: potential differentiators to amplify3. **Formats they use that you do not**: format gaps that could reach new audiences4. **Audience segments they address that you do not**: underserved audiences5. **Search terms they rank for that you do not**: SEO content gaps #### Content Quality Assessment- Depth: surface-level or comprehensive?- Freshness: regularly updated or stale?- Engagement: do posts get comments, shares, links?- Production value: text-only or multimedia?- Thought leadership: original insights or rehashed content? ### Positioning Strategy #### Positioning Statement Framework For your company and each competitor, define (or reverse-engineer) their positioning statement: > For [target audience], [product/company] is the [category] that [key benefit/differentiator] because [reason to believe]. Example:> For mid-market SaaS marketing teams, Acme is the campaign management platform that unifies planning and execution in one workspace because it is built on a single data model that eliminates tool fragmentation. #### Positioning Map Plot competitors on a 2x2 matrix using the two most important dimensions for your market: Common axis pairs:- **Price vs. Capability** (low cost / basic vs. premium / full-featured)- **Ease of Use vs. Power** (simple / limited vs. complex / flexible)- **SMB Focus vs. Enterprise Focus** (self-serve / individual vs. sales-led / team)- **Point Solution vs. Platform** (does one thing well vs. does many things)- **Innovative vs. Established** (new approach vs. proven track record) Identify which quadrant is underserved or where your differentiation is strongest. #### Category Strategy- **Create a new category**: if you do something genuinely different, define and own the category (high risk, high reward)- **Reframe the existing category**: change how buyers evaluate the category to favor your strengths- **Win the existing category**: compete directly on recognized criteria and out-execute- **Niche within the category**: own a specific segment, use case, or audience #### Positioning Pitfalls to Avoid- Positioning against a competitor rather than for a customer need- Claiming too many differentiators (pick 1-2 that matter most)- Using category jargon the customer does not use- Positioning on features rather than outcomes- Changing positioning too frequently (confuses the market) ### Battlecard Creation A competitive battlecard is a one-page reference for sales and marketing teams. Include: #### Header- Competitor name and logo- Last updated date- Competitive win rate (if tracked) #### Quick Overview- What they do (one sentence)- Their target customer- Pricing model summary- Key recent developments #### Their Pitch- How they describe themselves- Their primary tagline- Their top 3 claimed differentiators #### Strengths (Be Honest)- Where they genuinely compete well- What customers like about them (from reviews)- Features or capabilities where they lead #### Weaknesses- Consistent customer complaints (from reviews)- Technical limitations- Gaps in their offering- Areas where customers report dissatisfaction #### Our Differentiators- 3-5 specific ways your product or approach is different- For each: the differentiator, why it matters to the customer, and proof #### Objection Handling| If the prospect says... | Respond with... ||------------------------|----------------|| "[Competitor] does X too" | "Here is how our approach differs..." || "[Competitor] is cheaper" | "Here is what that price difference gets you..." || "I've heard good things about [Competitor]" | "They are strong at X. Where we differ is..." | #### Landmines to SetQuestions to ask prospects early that highlight your advantages:- "How do you currently handle [area where competitor is weak]?"- "How important is [capability you have that they lack]?"- "Have you considered [risk that your product mitigates]?" #### Landmines to DefuseQuestions competitors might encourage prospects to ask you, with prepared responses. #### Win/Loss Themes- Common reasons deals are won against this competitor- Common reasons deals are lost to this competitor- What types of prospects favor them vs. you #### Battlecard Maintenance- Review and update quarterly at minimum- Update immediately after major competitor announcements- Incorporate win/loss feedback from sales team- Track which objection-handling responses are most effective ## Output Present the full competitive brief with clear formatting. Note the date of the research so the user knows the freshness of the data. After the brief, ask: "Would you like me to:- Create a battlecard for your sales team based on this analysis?- Draft messaging that exploits the positioning gaps identified?- Dive deeper into any specific competitor?- Set up a competitive monitoring plan?"