Competitor research is a market research method designed to understand competitors' products, services, positioning, strengths, weaknesses, strategies and other information in order to develop effective marketing strategies and differentiation advantages. The importance of competitor research is self-evident, whether in market entry, market expansion, market maintenance, market exit and other different stages, it is necessary to fully understand and analyze competitors in order to grasp market opportunities, avoid market risks and improve market competitiveness.

However, as the market environment changes, competitor research is also facing new trends and challenges. In this article, we will analyze the trends in competitor research and the impact on the methods and strategies of competitor research in the following four areas.

Expanded range of competitors

竞争对手的范围是指与企业在同一市场上竞争的其他企业或组织。传统的竞争对手调研往往只关注直接竞争对手，即提供相同或类似的产品或服务的企业。然而，随着市场的多元化、细分化、全球化和数字化，竞争对手的范围不断扩大，不仅包括直接竞争对手，还包括以下几种类型的竞争对手：

Potential competitors: companies or organizations that are likely to enter the market, such as emerging startups, multinational giants, government agencies, etc. Potential competitors may bring new technologies, new models and new resources to the market, thus changing the pattern and rules of the market.

Substitute competitors: refers to enterprises or organizations that provide different products or services that meet the same or similar needs, such as different product forms, different service methods, different consumption scenarios, etc. Substitute competitors may bring new value propositions, new consumption habits, and new consumer groups to the market, thereby affecting market demand and preferences.

Cross-border competitors: refers to enterprises or organizations that enter the market from different industries or fields, such as cross-border platform companies, cross-border social organizations, cross-border individuals, etc. Cross-border competitors may bring new perspectives, new ideas and new cooperation to the market, thus creating diversity and prosperity in the market.

间接竞争对手：提供部分或相关服务的其他机构，如会计师事务所、律师事务所、投资银行、证券公司、评级机构、研究机构等，他们可能在某些领域或项目上与尚普咨询公司形成竞争或合作的关系。

潜在竞争对手：尚未进入市场，但有能力和意愿进入市场的其他机构，如科技公司、媒体公司、教育机构、政府机构等，他们可能通过技术创新、平台整合、内容输出、政策支持等方式，提供与尚普咨询公司类似或替代的服务。

替代品竞争对手：可以满足客户相同或类似需求的其他产品或服务，如自主研究、内部咨询、网络资源、公开课程等，他们可能通过价格优势、便利性、可靠性等因素，影响客户对尚普咨询公司服务的需求和选择。

补充品竞争对手：可以增强或提升客户对尚普咨询公司服务的需求或价值的其他产品或服务，如数据分析、软件开发、项目管理、培训教育等，他们可能通过合作或竞争的方式，影响客户对尚普咨询公司服务的满意度和忠诚度。

Champ Consulting needs to develop strategies based on the characteristics and influence of different types of competitors, as follows:

Type characteristics affect coping strategies

Other consulting agencies that provide the same or similar services to direct competitors have the greatest impact on market share, profit margin, brand image, etc. Resist strategy: maintain or enhance their competitive advantage and market position by improving service quality, reducing service costs, increasing service innovation, and strengthening service differentiation.

Indirect competitors provide part or other institutions of related services have a greater impact on competition or cooperation in certain areas or projects Cooperation strategy: through the establishment of strategic alliances, joint ventures, distribution agents, etc., to achieve the sharing of resources and complementary advantages, expand the scope of services and market coverage.

潜在竞争对手尚未进入市场，但有能力和意愿进入市场的其他机构对市场的潜在威胁或机会的影响较大避免策略：通过提高市场准入门槛、建立客户忠诚度、维护政府关系等方式，降低潜在竞争对手的进入动机和能力

Alternative competitors can meet the same or similar needs of customers other products or services have a greater impact on customer needs and choices beyond the strategy: by providing higher added value, better experience, stronger protection, etc., to enhance customer preference and dependence on their own services.

补充品竞争对手可以增强或提升客户对自身服务的需求或价值的其他产品或服务对客户满意度和忠诚度的影响较大合作策略：通过整合或推荐补充品竞争对手的产品或服务，提升客户对自身服务的需求或价值，增加客户的满意度和忠诚度

Increased information on competitors

With the development of technologies such as the Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence, competitors' information has become richer and more transparent, and can be obtained through multiple channels and platforms. For example, enterprises can learn about competitors' product characteristics, service quality, price strategy, market share, customer satisfaction, brand image, marketing channels, innovation ability, etc. through competitors' official websites, social media, e-commerce platforms, third-party data platforms, professional media, etc. Therefore, enterprises need to improve the ability to collect and analyze competitor information, and use various tools and methods to extract valuable information and insights.

In response to the increase in competitor information, companies can take the following measures:

Establish a systematic competitor information base, including competitor's basic information, historical information, current information, future information, etc., as well as related data, documents, reports, etc., to be updated and maintained regularly.

利用各种工具和方法，如网络爬虫、文本挖掘、情感分析、数据可视化、机器学习等，对竞争对手信息进行收集、清洗、整理、分析、呈现等，提取有价值的信息和洞察。

Establish an effective competitor information sharing and application mechanism to deliver competitor information and insights to relevant decision makers and executives in a timely manner to provide support and guidance for the formulation and implementation of marketing strategies.

以尚普咨询公司为例，其可以通过以下方式获取和分析竞争对手信息：

通过网络爬虫，定期抓取竞争对手的官网、社交媒体、电商平台等，获取竞争对手的产品介绍、服务案例、客户评价、价格信息、活动信息等。

Through text mining, the competitor's text information is segmented, part of speech tagging,KeywordsExtraction, theme model, sentiment analysis, etc., to extract competitors' product characteristics, service quality, customer satisfaction, brand image, market positioning, etc.

通过数据可视化，对竞争对手的数据信息进行图表、地图、仪表盘等的展示，呈现竞争对手的市场份额、价格策略、营销渠道、创新能力等。

通过机器学习，对竞争对手的信息进行聚类、分类、回归、关联、预测等，发现竞争对手的规律、模式、趋势、影响因素等。

Through the competitor information database, competitor information and insights are stored, managed, updated, retrieved, shared, etc., to provide relevant decision makers and executives with competitor information query and application services.

Competitors act faster

With the intensification of market competition and changes in customer demand, the behavior of competitors becomes more rapid and flexible, and can quickly adjust products, services, positioning, advantages, disadvantages, strategies, etc., to adapt to market changes and seize market opportunities. For example, competitors can improve the quality and performance of their products through rapid iteration, customization, differentiation, and diversification to meet the personalized and diverse needs of customers. Therefore, companies need to strengthen the monitoring and forecasting capabilities of competitors, timely detection of changes and impacts of competitors, and make corresponding responses and adjustments.

In order to cope with the rapid behavior of competitors, enterprises can take the following measures:

Establish an agile competitor behavior monitoring system that uses various signals and indicators, such as sales, evaluations, feedback, complaints, media reports, patent applications, etc., to monitor competitor behavior changes and trends in real time.

Establish a scientific competitor behavior prediction model, using various methods and techniques, such as trend analysis, scenario analysis, simulation analysis, machine learning, etc., to predict the behavioral intentions and results of competitors, as well as their own impact and threats.

Establish a flexible competitor behavior response mechanism, formulate and implement corresponding response strategies and actions, such as following, leading, countermeasures, circumvention, etc., and corresponding evaluation and feedback according to the changes and predictions of competitor behavior.

In the case of Champ Consulting, for example, it can monitor, predict and respond to changes in the behaviour of competitors in the following ways:

Monitor changes in the quality, performance, price, and satisfaction of competitors' products and services, as well as changes in customer needs and preferences, through data such as sales volume, reviews, feedback, and complaints.

Through media reports, patent applications, recruitment information and other data, monitor competitors' innovation, investment, expansion and other trends, as well as changes in market opportunities and risks.

Through trend analysis, scenario analysis, simulation analysis and other methods, predict the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, strategies, etc. of competitors' future products and services, as well as their own impact and threats.

Through following, leading, countermeasures, evasion and other strategies, we can deal with the behavior changes of competitors, such as improving the quality, performance, price and satisfaction of our own products and services, or developing new products and services, or adjusting our own positioning, advantages, disadvantages, strategies, etc., or looking for new markets or partners.

Increased cooperation from competitors

With the complexity and synergy of the market, competitors are no longer just a simple competitive relationship, but may appear cooperative relationship, in order to achieve the sharing of resources and complementary advantages. For example, competitors can achieve product expansion, market expansion, technology exchange, and cost reduction through alliances, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, distribution, and agency. Therefore, enterprises need to recognize the possibility and potential of the cooperation of competitors, as well as the threats and opportunities of the cooperation of competitors to themselves, and how to use the cooperation of competitors or participate in the cooperation of competitors.

In order to cope with the increase in the cooperation of competitors, enterprises can take the following measures:

Establish a comprehensive competitor cooperation intelligence system to collect and analyze competitor cooperation information, such as the purpose, form, scope, content, effect, etc. of cooperation, as well as the impact and evaluation of cooperation.

Establish an in-depth competitor cooperation analysis model, using various methods and techniques, such as SWOT analysis, five-force analysis, value chain analysis, game theory, etc., to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of competitor cooperation, threats and opportunities, synergies and conflicts, benefits and risks, as well as their own impact and challenges.

Establish a flexible competitor cooperation response mechanism, based on the analysis of competitor cooperation, formulate and implement corresponding response strategies and actions, such as joining, withdrawing, hindering, promoting, imitating, innovating, etc., as well as corresponding evaluation and feedback.

In the case of Champ Consulting, for example, it can collect, analyze and respond to competitors' cooperation in the following ways:

通过竞争对手的官网、社交媒体、媒体报道、行业报告等，收集和分析竞争对手的合作信息，如合作的目的、形式、范围、内容、效果等，以及合作的影响和评价。

通过SWOT分析、五力分析、价值链分析、博弈论等方法，分析竞争对手的合作的优势和劣势、威胁和机会、协同和冲突、收益和风险等，以及对自身的影响和挑战。

通过加入、退出、阻碍、促进、模仿、创新等策略，应对竞争对手的合作情况，如加入竞争对手的合作，以获取更多的资源和市场，或退出竞争对手的合作，以保持自身的独立和差异，或阻碍竞争对手的合作，以削弱竞争对手的优势和影响，或促进竞争对手的合作，以实现更大的协同和共赢，或模仿竞争对手的合作，以学习竞争对手的经验和技术，或创新竞争对手的合作，以提供更有价值和更有竞争力的服务。

Conclusion

竞争对手调研是一种重要的市场研究方法，可以帮助企业了解竞争对手的信息和行为，制定有效的营销策略和差异化优势。随着市场环境的变化和技术的发展，竞争对手调研也面临着新的趋势和挑战，如竞争对手的范围扩大、信息增多、行为变快、合作增多等。企业需要及时关注和应对这些变化，提高竞争对手调研的能力和水平，以保持或提升自身的竞争优势和市场地位。