Marketing, design & creative agencies competitor analysis
Criteria, weights, features, KPIs and sources for analysing competitors of digital marketing agencies, SEO agencies, design studios, video production houses, PR firms.
Agencies are compared on proof: case studies with numbers, recognisable clients, clear specialisation and a price that feels safe for the result promised. Freelancers and in-house hiring are real substitutes, and so are software tools that automate part of the service.
This template scores specialisation, proof, pricing model, talent, process and visibility so you can pick a positioning that is easy to remember and hard to copy.
What decides who wins
Score every competitor from 0 to 10 on these criteria. The weights are a starting point; adjust them to what your customers say matters.
| Criterion | Weight | What to look at |
|---|---|---|
| Niche & specialisation | 16% | Clear industry or service focus |
| Case studies & proof | 22% | Named clients, measurable results |
| Pricing model & value | 14% | Retainers, performance fees, project pricing |
| Team & talent | 14% | Senior team, certifications, awards |
| Process & reporting | 12% | Onboarding, dashboards, communication |
| Visibility & thought leadership | 14% | SEO, LinkedIn, speaking, content |
| Reviews & referrals | 8% | Clutch/Google reviews, referrals |
Features and offers to compare
Mark each competitor yes, partly or no. Critical items missing from your offer are the first gaps to close.
- Industry specialisation (Critical)
- Case studies with numbers (Critical)
- Published pricing / packages (Important)
- Free audit or strategy call (Important)
- Monthly reporting dashboard (Important)
- Dedicated account manager (Important)
- Performance-based pricing (Nice to have)
- White-label services (Nice to have)
- Certifications (Google, Meta, HubSpot) (Nice to have)
- Short contracts (Nice to have)
Where to find your competitors
- Clutch, GoodFirms and DesignRush category listings for your city or niche
- Google: '[service] agency in [city]' and '[service] agency for [industry]'
- LinkedIn search for agencies whose employees list your services
- Proposals you lost: who won and why
Well-known players in related categories
Larger brands your customers may compare you with. Listed for research only; inclusion does not imply they compete with you.
- SEO & marketing intelligence: Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz, SE Ranking, SpyFu, Similarweb, Mangools, Serpstat
- Social media management: Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, Later, Sprinklr, Agorapulse, SocialPilot, Metricool
KPIs to benchmark
- Services and minimum retainer (ask or check proposals)
- Number of case studies with measurable outcomes
- Clutch/Google rating and review count
- LinkedIn followers and posting frequency of founders
- Estimated organic traffic
Five Forces snapshot
Typical pressure in this market. Your local situation may differ; rate it in the Five Forces tool.
| Force | Typical level |
|---|---|
| Competitive rivalry | Very high |
| Threat of new entrants | Very high |
| Threat of substitutes | High |
| Bargaining power of buyers | High |
| Bargaining power of suppliers | Low |
Estimating market share
For this industry, review counts are usually the most practical public proxy for share. Use the same source for every business and read the result as a share of the businesses you track. See how to estimate market share and HHI.
Mistakes to avoid
- Positioning as 'full-service' when every rival says the same
- Comparing retainers without scope
- Ignoring software tools as substitutes