Article
Finding growth where the market is actually moving
How market sizing, attractiveness and competitive-demand analysis can separate structural opportunity from headline growth.
Understand which alternatives are competing for the same demand and why customers move between them
We connect customer choice, competitive alternatives and market dynamics to reveal where demand is being captured, displaced or redefined.
Competitive positions are ultimately expressed through customer choices. Yet conventional competitor analysis can concentrate on companies, products and market shares without explaining why demand moves between them. Customers may switch because of price, availability, functionality, trust or changing definitions of what constitutes an acceptable alternative. New entrants can also reshape demand without competing on established category boundaries. Competitive demand analysis starts with the choice being made, identifies which alternatives genuinely compete for it and examines the factors determining where accessible demand flows as market conditions change.
Our approach
Analyze competition from the customer's choice rather than from the competitor list
Our approach begins by defining the customer need or decision around which demand is competing and identifying the full set of alternatives capable of satisfying it. We examine choice criteria, switching behavior, relative performance, pricing, availability and other factors influencing where demand moves. Competitors are assessed according to their ability to capture or reshape demand rather than their similarity to the existing offer. We then map demand pools, sources of share movement and emerging substitutes to understand where competitive pressure is increasing and which changes could alter the boundaries of accessible demand.
The data and estimates presented are indicative and intended for illustrative purposes. Actual outcomes may vary based on each company’s specific context, market conditions, operating model, implementation choices, and the quality and consistency of execution, including actions undertaken by the client.
Keypillars
Explore the key pillars that define this capability and shape how we create focused, measurable business impact.
Demand allocation
Examines how category demand is distributed among competitors and how customer choices shift across brands, offers, channels, and alternatives
Competitive drivers
Identifies the factors that redirect demand between competitors, including price, availability, proposition, experience, and market presence
Share dynamics
Connects changes in competitive position with underlying demand movements to distinguish structural shifts from short-term market fluctuations
Do you know why demand moves toward competitors, or are you only measuring where it went?
Get in touch with our Competitive demand team to examine demand shifts, competitive choices and the factors influencing customer preference.
Get in touchStrategic Framework
Explore our Strategic Framework
Explore our strategic framework applied to page_title and discover which model we apply to help you achieve your goals and objectives.
Discover our framework01. Define arena
Establish the products, alternatives, customer groups, geographies, and occasions across which demand competes
06. Track movement
Monitor changes in competitive preference, switching behavior, demand concentration, and emerging substitution
05. Test scenarios
Examine how competitor actions, market changes, pricing, innovation, and channel shifts could redistribute demand
02. Map alternatives
Identify direct competitors, substitutes, internal alternatives, and emerging options competing for the same demand
03. Compare drivers
Assess how needs, price, availability, experience, switching costs, and differentiation influence competitive choice
04. Quantify flows
Estimate demand movement, switching patterns, acquisition sources, losses, and share shifts across competing options
How we help
Understand where demand is moving between alternatives and what is changing the competitive basis of customer choice
We provide competitive demand intelligence focused on how customers allocate demand across existing and emerging alternatives. The work can include competitive choice analysis, switching research, demand-pool mapping, share-driver analysis, substitution assessment and competitive demand scenarios. Outputs clarify which offers genuinely compete for the same customer need, why demand moves between them, where competitors are gaining or losing relevance and how new propositions or changing market conditions could redefine the competitive boundaries around accessible demand.
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Competitive demand assessment
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Demand share analysis
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Competitive demand driver analysis
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Competitive switching analysis
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Demand substitution analysis
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Competitive consideration analysis
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Competitor demand pool mapping
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Competitive win-loss analysis
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Demand migration analysis
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Competitive demand gap analysis
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Competitive demand monitoring
Explore our FAQs
Find answers to the most common questions about this service, including key features, processes, and practical considerations. Explore our FAQs for additional insights and guidance.
It assesses how demand is distributed across alternatives and why customers choose, switch, defer or reject competing propositions.
Market share records outcomes; competitive demand examines the customer choices and market dynamics producing those outcomes.
Price, performance, service, availability, changing needs, switching costs and dissatisfaction can all alter competitive choice.
Examine substitutes, emerging propositions and changing buyer behavior rather than limiting analysis to established direct competitors.
Superior availability, pricing, distribution, customer experience or relevance to a specific buying situation can shift demand.
Assess how alternatives, selection criteria, switching behavior and competitive intensity differ among economically meaningful segments.
When pricing, offerings, channels, customer priorities or new alternatives materially change the basis of competitive choice.
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Editorial overview
Articles
Finding growth where the market is actually moving
How market sizing, attractiveness and competitive-demand analysis can separate structural opportunity from headline growth.
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