Research Guides: Marketing: Competitor Analysis

Competitor Analysis

An analysis of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, strategies, assumptions, resources, and market positioning from all available sources of information, in order to identify suitable market strategies. Competitor analysis is an integral part of market planning. The process of competitor analysis involves the following steps:

Identify competitors within a target market (products, product substitutes, services, generics, new entrants).
Audit competitor capabilities (financial, technical, managerial, marketing assets, strengths and weaknesses).
Relate the competitor capabilities to those of the enterprise to determine competitive advantages and disadvantages. Infer competitor objectives and strategic thrust of competitor.
Deduce competitor strategies (target segments, differential advantages, competitive scope, cost leadership).
Estimate competitor response pattern to the company’s marketing strategy (retaliatory, complacent, hemmed-in, selective, unpredictable).

Where can you find information on a company's strengths and weaknesses, operations & supply chain, merchandising and pricing, marketing strategy and more? Be sure to follow these steps.

Search your company's shopping & corporate web sites and the links listed below to find these resources:

SEC Annual Form 10-K filing or similar government filing - Provides information on operations, marketing and organization.
Annual Report to Stockholders, including President's Letter - May provide information about marketing efforts and corporate strategy.
CEO Interviews, conference calls & press releases - Provides updates on strategy.
Articles about the company & its operations

When searching company websites, look for "Corporate" or "Investor Relations" links to access the most recent year/s annual reports and SEC filings.

EDGAR
Search the EDGAR database by company name or ticker symbol to access a complete list of files submitted by a company to the SEC. (See A Guide for Investors for tips on searching the EDGAR database.)

Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Search for your company by name NAISC, or SIC code to access a company profile. 10-K's and 10-Q's are listed under the "Filings" tab. Also, access company profiles including company details/history, subsidiaries, financials, business segments, equity pricing, ratios competitors, and news stories.

SEDGAR (for Canadian companies)

Business Source Premier with BSI [EBSCO] This link opens in a new window
Select "Company Profiles" on the top bar for full MarketLine profiles containing history & SWOT analyses of public & private, US and international companies.
First Research This link opens in a new window
Mergent database containing industry reports on over 900 business sectors in the U.S. and Canada. Industry profiles include quarterly industry updates, forecasts, benchmarks, news, and industry challenges, trends and opportunities. Also contains brief up-to-date employment and economic data for states and countries.

Vault.com
Vault writes about industries and professions and their top companies, many of which are private companies. Industries covered include accounting, law, investment management, and real estate. Free resource.
Hoover's Company Records
Hoover's profiles are particularly helpful for private and small companies with overview and history that provide insights into strategy.
ProQuest Annual Reports
Browse by company name or industry for historical annual reports.

ABI/INFORM Collection [PROQUEST] This link opens in a new window
Core database for business research, contains full-text articles from scholarly journals and industry magazines, plus profiles of industries, companies, and markets.
Wall Street Journal [PROQUEST] This link opens in a new window
Find articles on current events and issues with companies and industries.

Barron's
Search for news articles on companies, industries, and markets.

Global Reporting Initiative
The Global Reporting Initiative has helped to set standards for corporate reporting on sustainable issues and now maintains a database of corporate reports. A link to the full pdf report is at the bottom of the reports record.
CorporateRegister
Register for free access to corporate non-financial reports, including Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainability, environmental and social reports.
Sustainability Reports
Current corporate reports listed by country and sector.

Marketing: Competitor Analysis

Contents

Competitor Analysis

Where can you find information on a company's strengths and weaknesses, operations & supply chain, merchandising and pricing, marketing strategy and more? Be sure to follow these steps.