How do you differentiate when competitors constantly copy new products and features?

People, speed, customer success and employer brand are the secret sauce to any business because they are proprietary and CANNOT be replicated. This is your differentiator and it makes up your brand.

Invest in talent. Ship quickly. Build and nurture customer advocates who authentically love your product and brand. If you do this - it won't matter what bits and bobs are across the competitive hall. Your Brand is the differentiator and the aforementioned pillars are the raw ingredients that make it sing. This can come through in every launch / PMM program and should consistently be present to reinforce and deliver customer promises.

If you haven't conducted an NPS program in awhile (or ever) this is a great way to objectively gauge customer health and understand whether or not a feature frenzy is actually problematic or not.

Positioning is what your company uniquely provides a specific audience in a particular market.  As market dynamics change, it needs to be updated, but it should be durable enough to stand some test of time.  If you’re finding your positioning is constantly out of date because competitors are shipping new products and features that you likely have not dug deep enough to truly understand your differentiation.

Imitation doesn't feel like the highest form of flattery when competitors copy work that required months of research, customer validation, and building. Here are a few tips to stay ahead of the competition.

• Impact Metrics: Whenever possible, leverage a customer to beta the product or feature you're launching to come out of the gates with impact metrics (ie, time/money saved). We did this a lot at Dropbox to build credibility with strong customer logos, especially when entering new markets. It also exposes copycat launches as fluff vs substance.

• Resonance: Brand Marketing is PMM's right hand to help stay top of mind & differentiated among competitors. Share competitive intel and persona research with them to empower them to build campaigns that keep target audiences consistently engaged across channels and loyal to your company.

• Innovation: Always plan what you're building in 6-12 months to stay ahead of the curve & focused on what will differentiate you in the broader market landscape. At Brex we have a 2+ year roadmap to keep teams & resources focused so we can innovate at a faster pace than competitors.

Finally, don't write off competitors copying your products and features - understand how they're positioning, pitching, and packaging a similar offering to strengthen your strategy. I've found gaps in my approach from competitors just as much as customer research, so use it to your advantage!