The Grass Isn’t Always Greener
Why copying competitors won’t make you win.
Previously on Giuseppe’s Glimpse: In the last episode, we explored the surprising evolution of Apple and Samsung—from a strong partnership to fierce rivals, and eventually, unlikely collaborators. A tale of competition, legal battles, and coopetition. Missed it? Catch up here! ✨
English speakers skip this paragraph, this is a special communication for my Italian community 🇮🇹💙
Amici! Qualche settimana fa sono stato a Torino tutto il weekend per registrare un corso sulla Customer Experience, uno dei temi che mi appassionano di più al mondo e su cui credo sia importante fare chiarezza. Il corso si chiama “Mastering CX”, uscirà tra qualche giorno e voi siete i primi a saperlo. Se vi interessa l’argomento potete lasciarmi la vostra mail qui e sarete i primi a ricevere le info appena lo lanciamo on line!
Buongiorno everyone! 👋
During my career as an advisor, I’ve often been asked: “Should we benchmark against our competitors?”
My answer? It depends.
It’s easy to fall into the comparison trap. They’re spending more on digital ads—should we increase our budget? 📈 Their brand is everywhere on social media—why don’t I see our campaigns as often? They rank higher in SEO while spending less—what’s their secret?
We instinctively measure our success against others, searching for clues in what they do differently. 🔍
A bit of “grass envy” isn’t a bad thing—it can fuel ambition and inspire improvement.
But here’s where it gets tricky: what we see from competitors is only the surface. Their ad campaigns, content strategy, and distribution deals are just outputs of a deeper, carefully built strategy. 🧠
And if we only focus on the visible tactics, we risk missing the foundation that actually makes them successful.
The tactics trap
Every company operates with a strategy—whether intentional or not. 🎯
But when results falter, the instinctive reaction is to patch things up with new tactics: What should we try next? Which tool will fix this? Can we borrow ideas from those doing better than us?
It’s an understandable impulse. When a competitor gains traction, it’s tempting to assume their success comes from the things that are easy to see 👀—more social media posts, better SEO, a particular ad campaign. This leads companies to replicate these moves, expecting similar results.
But tactics don’t work in isolation. ❌ A campaign that drives engagement for one company might fail for another because effectiveness isn’t just about the tactic itself—it’s about how that tactic fits into a broader, well-defined strategy.
If the foundation isn’t solid, no amount of tactical adjustments will create lasting success. The real issue isn’t the lack of tactics but a misalignment at the strategic level. ⚖️
Before adopting a competitor’s approach, it’s worth asking: What problem is this tactic actually solving for them? And is it the same problem we need to solve? Without that understanding, copying a tactic is just guesswork.
What you should do instead
So, if copying competitors isn’t the answer, what is?
Over the years, I’ve learned a few key lessons that I always recommend:
1. Start with identity, not imitation. 💙
Before chasing trends, ask: Who are we? What do we uniquely bring to the table? Reverse-engineering another company’s moves won’t work if their goals, strengths, and audience are different from yours.
2. Understand the why behind success stories. 🤔
Instead of mimicking competitors, study them deeply. Why are their tactics working? Is it because of strong brand loyalty? A different audience? A long-term investment in organic growth? The magic isn’t in the tactic—it’s in how it fits into their broader vision.
3. Measure what actually matters. 📊
Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics. Instead of focusing on how much competitors spend or how often they post, track what drives real impact: customer retention, conversion rates, brand trust.
4. Experiment and iterate—on your own terms. 🔄
The best strategies aren’t copied; they’re developed through continuous testing and adaptation. Instead of blindly adopting trends, run small experiments, analyze results, and refine your approach based on what works for you.
You can’t win the race by running in someone else’s lane
The next time you catch yourself thinking “We should do what they’re doing”, take a step back. ⛔ Competitors can provide inspiration, but they shouldn’t dictate your roadmap.
What works for them works for them—because it’s built on their unique strengths, market position, and long-term vision.
Success isn’t about chasing the latest trend 🔥 or mimicking what’s visible on the surface.
It comes from having the discipline to refine your own strategy, the clarity to know what not to do, and the confidence to make decisions based on what moves your business forward—not just what appears to be working for someone else.
The real competitive edge isn’t in executing the same playbook as others but in understanding your unique value 🔑 and doubling down on it.
So, what’s your take? Have you ever found yourself caught in the tactics trap?
Stay curious! 🙌
-gs
P.S.: This reflection was inspired by an insightful post (as usual) written by the one and only Seth Godin—go check it out!
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