Competitor Analysis - A Graphic Design Perspective

You have probably heard all about SWOT analysis. You can even target your contradictions demographics, market share and sales figures on hand. But have you ever used the same type of rigorous methodology for analyzing the visual presence of your competitors on the market? A graphic design audit is a fantastic and relatively easy way to have a clear picture of how your competitors are perceived, what key messages they communicate and how you used to look when gettingbeside them. It is also a valuable exercise that you are the type of communication your customers will be informed at regular intervals from your key competitors.

So how do you do it?

The first step to a graphic design audit is to every piece of sales and marketing materials you can find compiled from the competition. These include trawling through their website and below the screen accesses the main pages, subscribe to get their mailing lists, yourHands on the brochures, buying their products, so you can look at the packaging, etc., etc.

According to Peter L. Phillips, author of "Creating the Perfect Design Brief - How to Manage Design for Strategic Advantage", is one of the best, cheapest and quickest ways to participate in all trade shows. Nothing is illegal, immoral or unprofessional about this practice. Business is just a game that we play, after all win!

Mr. Phillips alsoproposes to find out your sales force members to what competitors are up to.
When they come into direct contact with customers every day, they can often pick up competitive literature from the customer. You just need to know what you need and, of course, why you need it.

So, if you compiled the information, what do you do with it?

The best way to begin is by using the data of your competitors to the wall and analyzing them one by one. Invite as many people asto be possible from the sales, marketing and business teams, their own opinions, which design elements work very well for the competition, and what weaknesses they can see. Their analysis by going to your competitors first you'll build a piece of objectivity, so that you can turn the same harsh criticism.

Seek ways, the design and unambiguous language of a document. Do they have a friendly look and feel that reflects more personalizedService? They look as professional as you? Why? Is it because the page is clearer, colors are more down or for some other reason has weakened? Is your web site easier to navigate than your own? What do you think the reasons for this choice were they? Is there anything you can learn from them? Above all, however, as these competitors with design for competitive advantage?

Now the hard part - with the same analysis comes up. Reassure your employees that thisnot an exercise where they must defend their work, it is only one way to gain useful information that gives you a competitive advantage, which could improve your profits. This aspect of the test turns out to be a bit difficult, so you an independent opinion from a graphic design company that understands the process, you need to help them.

It's amazing how much strategic information can generate this process. It will give you new ideas and a new perspective thatmay influence, all the way your marketing approach for the year. And considering many companies consider graphic design as an annoying inconvenience, if you are the first to use this strategic approach, you will find they are is another tool to help you are always one step ahead of the competition.

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