Five-Minute Guide to Competitive Intelligence

When it comes to fast food pizza chains, there are only so many that are household names.

Among the biggest brands are Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut, who are both known for cheap and easy eats.

As you can see, Pizza Hut dominates the online conversation, meaning Domino’s has some way to go to catch up. But looking at this over time, rather than as an overall comparison, we can spot a key moment.

Domino’s saw a spike in conversation in 2017 after they dethroned Pizza Hut as the top global seller. These kinds of achievements mean brands can start to claw back share of voice from competitors.

We also looked at another example from the fast food world: burgers.

Universally loved fast food chains like Five Guys and Shake Shack are offering higher quality burgers at a relatively low price point. So how are their respective share of voices looking?

In 2012, Five Guys had a larger share of voice than Shake Shack, with over 60 percent of the share of voice. This was likely due to Five Guys’ longer history, while Shake Shack love was more localised (primarily in New York).

But since then, Five Guys has seen their dominance challenged.

By 2013, Shake Shack had broken the 50% share of voice mark and has held onto it ever since (even with a temporary surge after the restaurant was mentioned in a 2016 Spider-Man comic).

One reason for Shake Shack’s takeover could be their willingness to experiment and make improvements to their product line. From vegetarian-friendly offerings like their Shroom Burger to creative custards, they’ve become a cult favorite.

Clearly, their customer-focused activities have been filtering through into social conversations.

Being two fast food burger companies, there are similarities between the menu items, but each brand is unique in its own way.

For Five Guys, menu items with bacon generally perform well, like the Bacon Dog and Bacon Burger (the Bacon Cheeseburger being an exception).

For Shake Shack, the Chik’n Shack is more beloved than the burgers. Cheese Fries and the Shroom Burger are also popular.

This gives brands some nice insight into their products without the effort of running expensive focus groups. From here they can start the process of improving the least-liked items, and promoting the customer favorites. By digging into these conversations, they can find out exactly what consumers love (and hate) about each product.

Looking at age demographics, there are stark differences.

L’Oreal appeals to an older crowd, with 47 percent of the conversation coming from those 35 and above. However, those 17 and below also make up a sizable chunk of the discussion, occupying 31 percent of share of voice.

Sephora is popular among millennials and Gen Z. Those 17 and below make up the largest share of the conversation with 37 percent share of voice, followed by those 18-24 with 32 percent share of voice.

These kinds of takeaways can play a big role in steering a company’s marketing and promotional activities, particularly in who they target and how they talk to them.

Affinities

Audience also hinges upon affinities, which shows consumers’ interests and preferences. Getting back to burgers, we compared the audiences for Five Guys and Shake Shack.

The former has attracted a crowd enthusiastic about country music, church, and gaming. They’re also sports fans, given their affinities for Sportscenter, NCAA, and wrestling.

The latter seems to have a more cosmopolitan taste, with interests in Dubai and New York City. Shake Shack also attracts a business-driven crowd, indicated by interests in economics, entrepreneurship, and finance. They’re also foodies, with affinities like chefs, wine, and dining.

Just like with the age demographics, we can see a stark difference in the two groups. Clearly differing marketing opportunities are available for each company.

Looking at the brands in the smart home specific conversation, Amazon has usurped Apple and other brands, with the rising popularity of versatile home assistant Amazon Echo.

Nest had a moment in 2015, when smart thermostats were becoming popular. Meanwhile Samsung has lost a lot of its share of voice since 2012. Smaller brands like Sonos and Lutron have steadily made their social conversation presence known in the smart home discussion.

Keeping a regular eye on this kind of data can limit the chance of competitor surprises. If a newcomer is making gains, it’s time to dedicate more resources to working out what their angle is and what’s making them successful.