Your Real Competition Isn’t Who You Think — Mastering Indirect Competition

Most brands obsess over direct competitors.

But your real threat often comes from elsewhere.

Think about it:

• Uber isn’t just competing with taxis. It’s competing with Netflix.
• A gym competes with beer, TikTok, or your couch.
• McDonald’s fights not only Burger King, but your local bakery too.

This Is Indirect Competition

Indirect competition means your customer doesn’t pick between similar products.
They pick between totally different ones — that solve the same emotional job.

• Want to relax? You could scroll TikTok, take a bath, drink wine, or nap.
• Want to impress someone? Flowers, a fancy dinner, or a killer website.

Same job, different categories.

Why It Matters

1. You lose customers and don’t know why.
   They didn’t pick a competitor — they picked something else entirely.

2. You miss breakout ideas.
   Once you understand the real job, you can innovate beyond your category.

3. You market features — not feelings.
   And let’s be real: feelings win.

How to Spot Indirect Competitors

🧠 1. Identify the craving.
What human emotion or “job” are people hiring your product for?

🔀 2. List alternatives.
What else could someone do to solve that same craving?

📍 3. Pinpoint the moment.
When does the need hit? What triggers the decision?

Examples

• Spotify isn’t just fighting Apple Music. It’s fighting silence, walks, or podcasts.
• Calendly competes with Slack, “let’s sync later,” or no meeting at all.

How to Win

🎯 1. Own the emotional job.
Don’t say “we’re better.” Say “we’re exactly what you need when X happens.”

⏱️ 2. Be there at the trigger.
Design your product and messaging for that exact moment.

🎭 3. Make them feel understood.
Speak their language. No buzzwords. No fluff. Just truth.

🛠 4. Craft an experience, not just a product.
Think: how does it feel? What emotion does it leave behind?

Quick breakdown: how indirect competition works — and how to use it to break free.

Final Thought

In 2025, your real competition isn’t another agency, app, or brand.

It’s distraction. Emotion. Timing. Habits.

Want to build a brand that wins those moments?