Competitor Analysis

Before any identity or design work starts, we need a clear picture of what’s already out there. Not just who the competitors are, but how they look, how they speak, and what customers have come to expect from the category. Without that understanding, it’s very easy for even good design to end up feeling familiar. Take sportswear as an example. If a new brand hasn’t properly studied Nike, Adidas, or Puma, it will almost inevitably fall into the same visual language and cues the category already uses. 

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At Confetti, we usually spend around a week reviewing competitors before any creative work begins. This helps us identify what’s overdone, where brands are starting to blur together, and where there’s real room to do something different. And if you want to understand how this approach applies to your brand and market, the best next step is to book a call with us and talk it through properly.

We don’t just look at brands that sell the same product. A useful competitor analysis includes direct competitors, aspirational brands, and brands competing for the same customer attention. Often, the most valuable insights come from outside the obvious set. What customers compare you to in their heads isn’t always limited to brands in the same price bracket or even the same category. For example, a D2C skincare brand might look at The Ordinary as a direct competitor, Minimalist as a strong local player, and Glossier as an aspirational reference. Each offers a different perspective on positioning, visual language, and customer expectations.

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At Confetti, shortlisting and analysing the right competitors usually takes around five to seven days. Getting this right is important because the wrong competitor set can skew every strategic decision that follows. The fastest way to identify the competitors that actually matter for your brand is to book a short call with us and map it out properly.

Benchmarking is largely observational. It looks at what other brands are doing and measures you against that standard. Competitor analysis goes further. It looks for what’s missing, what’s overused, and where customers are quietly dissatisfied. Apple is a good example. It didn’t just compare phone features spec by spec. It noticed how frustrated people were with complexity and deliberately positioned itself around ease of use and simplicity.

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At Confetti, we spend a focused week moving past surface-level comparisons and into insights that actually inform positioning and design decisions. If you want to explore how deeper competitor analysis could strengthen how your brand is positioned, the best next step is to book a call with our team and talk it through properly for your category.

Competitor analysis helps narrow the field before positioning decisions are made. It shows us where brands are already clustered, what messages are being repeated, and which ideas have been exhausted. Just as importantly, it highlights where not to play, so the brand isn’t forced to compete on the same terms as everyone else. In coffee, for instance, many brands focus heavily on energy and productivity, while others like Blue Bottle have chosen to build around craftsmanship, ritual, and the experience of making coffee itself.

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At Confetti, these insights feed directly into positioning decisions within the first week of strategy work, not as a separate exercise but as part of how direction is set early on. This is what allows the brand to take a clear, intentional stance rather than reacting to the market. A discovery call is the simplest way to connect this thinking to your business goals and see how it would apply to your category.

Competitor analysis needs to happen right at the start of a branding or rebranding project, before names, logos, or visual styles are even on the table. When design decisions are made first, and strategy follows later, brands often end up repainting the same ideas in a new colour. A well-known example is Airbnb. Its rebrand worked because the strategic thinking came first, shaping what the brand stood for long before the visual system was finalised.

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At Confetti, competitor analysis is always part of Week 1. It sets the direction early and prevents costly course corrections later on. Starting in the wrong order can slow everything down and dilute the outcome. If you’re unsure where competitor analysis should sit within your project, a short call with our team is the easiest way to map the right sequence and get moving with confidence.