Competitor Acumen: The Heart of Competitor Analysis

This technical notes answers the questions: What does the competitive landscape look like to a given competitor? Which firms does the competitor regard as its chief rivals? Critically, what actions is the competitor likely to take? Excerpt UVA-S-0293 Apr. 10, 2017 Competitor Acumen: The Heart of Competitor Analysis If you know your opponent and know yourself, you will be undefeated in 100 wars. —Sun Tzu, The Art of War What does the competitive landscape look like to a given competitor? Which firms does the competitor regard as its chief rivals? Critically, what actions is the competitor likely to take? The concept of competitor acumen holds the key to answering such questions. More than the ability to simply identify or “size up” a rival, and beyond having keen insight into a rival's capabilities, competitor acumen means stepping out of your own shoes, stepping into a rival's shoes, and seeing the competitive landscape as your rival sees it. It's All About the Acumen . . .