Before you build anything, you need to understand what already exists.
Not just your competitors, but the wider landscape your audience is navigating every day.
Because your brand is never judged in isolation. It’s compared, constantly.
The mistake most communications and design teams make?
They either skip research entirely… or get lost in it.
Good discovery isn’t about gathering everything. It’s about spotting patterns:
- Who’s saying the same thing?
- What’s overused?
- Where are the gaps?
- What actually feels different?
One action to take this week:
Open 5 competitor websites and write down the same 3 phrases you see repeated. That’s your sea of sameness.
This stage is about clarity. The clearer the landscape, the easier it is to find your space within it.
Next week: we stop talking about “everyone” and focus on the people who actually matter. Your unique audience.