Messaging That Moves Markets—Even Your Competitors’

Knowing your message resonates isn’t just gratifying, it’s essential. But what happens when a larger competitor copies it? That’s not plagiarism. That’s validation.

It happened to me, and here’s what I learned about building messaging that’s not just memorable, but market-shifting.

How to Craft Messaging That Sticks

I didn’t start with brainstorming sessions. I started with customers.

• Grounded in insight: Through interviews with target accounts, I learned that over half were still on-prem and actively seeking a modern, integrated path forward.
• Positioned for contrast: While the dominant players leaned on their size and legacy, I focused our message on clarity—a connected, cloud-native solution that reflected where the market was going.
• Tested deliberately: I validated the message through real conversations and built it into content and campaigns backed by proof points, not buzzwords.

This wasn’t just messaging. It was positioning with intent, and it stuck.

The Echo Moment

A few months after the launch, a client messaged me:

“Hey, have you seen [Competitor]’s new site? Looks a lot like what you’ve been saying.”

They were right. The homepage, collateral, and even trade show messaging had shifted. A company with 4x our marketing resources had absorbed the core narrative I’d rolled out.

So, What Do You Do When You Get Echoed?

• Clarity beat volume: I didn’t have the biggest budget. I just listened better and positioned more precisely.
• Messaging moves markets: When a competitor mimics you, it’s a signal you’re defining—not following—the narrative.
• Depth matters: Message alone isn’t enough. I worked with sales to arm them with stories and proof to drive it home.
• I wish I’d gone louder: I wanted to push that momentum into public thought leadership—articles, panels, owned content. We had the story. If I could go back, I’d fight harder for visibility.