Octopus Competitive Intelligence

Failure isn’t just an occasional mistake that others make.—it’s inevitable. You make assumptions, take a risk, and suddenly realise you weren’t just a little wrong; you were catastrophically wrong. The kind of wrong that can drain your finances, wreck your reputation, or set you back years. In those moments, you have a choice. You can let the failure consume you, react emotionally and scramble for damage control. Or, you can turn it into an opportunity—using competitive intelligence, creative problem-solving, and strategic thinking to pivot, redirect, and come out stronger than before. Turn setbacks into strategy. The truth is that setbacks don’t have to be fatal. If you know how to analyse the landscape, spot opportunities, and leverage insights from competitors, you can turn a loss into a stepping stone. Success isn’t just about perseverance—it’s about playing the game smarter than everyone else. So, how do you do that? Let’s break it down. Why Competitive Intelligence Gives You an E...

Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP): The Silent Battleground in Competitive Strategy Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) seems simple. Manufacturers set a floor price. Retailers can’t advertise below this price. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see MAP isn’t just about price control. It’s a strategic lever in the competitive landscape. Here’s why MAP matters from a competitive intelligence and market analysis perspective: 1. MAP Is a Proxy for Market Power If a brand can enforce MAP effectively, it signals strong control over its distribution channels. Brands with weak market power can’t set prices for retailers. If they try, they risk pushback or losing those retailers. Consistent MAP adherence among retailers shows that the manufacturer has a strong influence. Competitive Insight: If your competitor enforces MAP successfully, they likely have strong retailer relationships and brand equity. This isn’t just about pricing—it reflects their positioning power in the market. 2. MAP Violations...

How often have you felt excited while looking at a market trend, a competitor’s move, or an industry shift? Did you think you found the answer? Your first answer is brilliant. You’ve analysed the data, backed up your conclusion, and shown why it’s great. And why you are the best analyst in the world! But here’s the harsh truth: your first insight is usually crap. In competitive intelligence and market analysis, the best insights are rarely the ones that come easily. Truly valuable intelligence isn’t obvious—it’s hidden beneath layers of assumptions, biases, and surface-level data. The best analysts aren’t the ones who stop when they think they have an answer. They’re the ones who keep going. Let’s explain why your first instinct is likely flawed, why your mind wants to take shortcuts, and how to train yourself to push past cognitive comfort to uncover real competitive advantage. The Trap of the First Idea Human brains crave certainty. We are wired to seek quick conclusions, especially ...

It’s easy to get locked into a single perspective in competitive intelligence and market strategy. You analyse the market, study competitors, assess trends, and make decisions based on what seems like the “right” interpretation. But here’s the problem—every market shift, competitor move, or strategic decision is like a line, and a line has two sides. Your competitive edge in market analysis. The danger lies in assuming that your side of the line is the only reality. What if the competitor you perceive as a threat is actually weak in areas you haven’t examined? What if the customer behaviours you rely on today evolve in ways your existing models don’t capture? What if the “obvious” move has a downside you haven’t seen? This article will show how a two-sided view of competitor analysis can find hidden opportunities and reduce blind spots. The Single-Sided Trap in Market Strategy Most businesses operate with confirmation bias—they see what they expect to see. A company that sees itself as...

Avoiding Mistakes in Competitive Analysis: What Mistakes Did You Make Last Time?: Weekly Winning Strategies When it comes to competitive and market analysis, mistakes are important. It’s how we grow. How we refine our strategic instincts, and how we learn to adapt. But let’s be clear: not all mistakes are equal. Some minor oversights can derail your market understanding. Or send you chasing the wrong competitors. The following four recurring mistakes are common, even among seasoned analysts. However, they can help us become sharper, smarter, and more proactive. Let’s unpack them and the best way of avoiding mistakes in competitive analysis. 1. Over-focusing on Surface Metrics The first mistake? Getting too caught up in surface-level metrics. It’s tempting to fixate on easily available data. You know, the market share percentages,  new product launches , or social media noise. The shiny objects of analysis that distract. They are easy to track, easy to report, and misleading if take...