Most companies think they know where they stand against their competition. They’re usually wrong.
Recently, we analyzed six marketing agencies targeting the same AI-focused clients. Four of them used nearly identical positioning — “AI marketing agency,” “proven strategies,” “growth marketing.” The other two? One positioned itself as “the only AI marketing agency,” while another emphasized “human expertise guiding AI.”
Another result of the audit? Only one of them scored 5/5 in terms of clarity. They all thought they were explaining themselves clearly. Only one was.
The Problem Hiding in Plain Sight
Here’s what we’ve discovered after conducting dozens of audits: The biggest competitive intelligence gaps aren’t about pricing or features. They’re about positioning.
When CyberRisk Alliance came to us, they suspected they were getting lost in the cybersecurity noise. Our audit revealed something unexpected, according to Jenn Jones, former Vice President of Marketing at CyberRisk Alliance.
“Spencer Brenneman’s competitive analysis revealed that we were the only company in our space truly focused on community and collaboration — everyone else was pushing products. The audit gave us permission to double down on what was already working instead of trying to sound like traditional cybersecurity vendors,” she says.
They weren’t losing because they lacked differentiation. They were losing because they didn’t realize how different they actually were.
The Real Cost of Generic Messaging
Cubic Squared learned this lesson the hard way. In a crowded market of AI marketing agencies, they were using the same language as everyone else.
“The messaging audit was eye-opening,” says Cubic Squared Co-Founder Doug Gotay. “We discovered that our ‘AI-driven growth marketing’ positioning was nearly identical to four other agencies. Spencer Brenneman’s analysis helped us see that our real differentiator wasn’t the technology, but our human expertise guiding the AI.”
Beyond Surface-Level Analysis
The companies with the clearest positioning consistently outperform their generic competitors — we’re talking 2.5x faster revenue growth and dramatically higher customer retention rates.
The best part? Most of your competitive advantages are already there. You just need to see them clearly.
To see a sample Messaging Audit or to learn more about getting one for your organization, click here.
