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Create competitive intelligence reports with Claude

The Rundown: Learn how to use Claude's web search and research capabilities to analyze competitors and generate interactive executive dashboards that reveal market opportunities.

🧰 Who is this useful for:

  • Sales teams preparing for competitive deals
  • Product managers analyzing market positioning
  • Marketing teams developing competitive strategies
  • Business executives making strategic decisions


STEP 1: Set Up Claude for Advanced Research

To get started, head over to Claude and select Claude Opus 4 from the model dropdown. This gives you access to the most powerful search and analysis capabilities.

Click on the Search and Tools icon (magnifying glass) and enable Extended Thinking to allow Claude to think more deeply and systematically about complex competitive analysis.

Once you have Extended Thinking enabled, you're ready to begin your competitive intelligence research with improved analytical capabilities.

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STEP 2: Identify Your Competitive Landscape

Start with a broad competitive landscape search using this prompt:

"Search the web and identify the top 5-7 competitors in the [YOUR INDUSTRY] space that offer [YOUR PRODUCT CATEGORY]. For each competitor, provide:

  1. Company overview (founding date, size, headquarters)
  2. Recent funding rounds and valuation
  3. Core products and key features
  4. Target market and customer base
  5. Recent strategic moves (partnerships, acquisitions, product launches)"

Claude will automatically search the web and provide you with a comprehensive overview of your competitive landscape within minutes, complete with citations from authoritative sources.

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STEP 3: Conduct Deep Competitive Analysis

With your initial competitor list identified, now prompt Claude for comprehensive research:

"Conduct comprehensive competitive research on the companies identified in the previous analysis. I need a detailed strategic assessment covering:

Financial Analysis:

  • Revenue estimates and growth trajectories
  • Funding history and investor backing
  • Market valuation and financial health

Product Strategy:

  • Feature comparison matrix across all competitors
  • Pricing strategies and business models
  • Product roadmap insights and recent launches

Market Position:

  • Brand positioning and messaging analysis
  • Customer segments and market share
  • Competitive advantages and differentiators

Strategic Intelligence:

  • Recent partnerships and strategic alliances
  • Acquisition activity and expansion plans
  • Leadership changes and key hires
  • Weaknesses and market gaps

Please synthesize this into actionable insights with specific recommendations for competitive positioning."

Claude's research mode will conduct an extensive investigation, pulling from multiple sources and providing you with a comprehensive competitive analysis that would typically require a team of analysts days to complete.

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STEP 4: Generate Interactive Executive Dashboard

With your research complete, now prompt Claude to create a visual dashboard:

"Based on the competitive research analysis, create an interactive executive dashboard that visualizes our competitive landscape. The dashboard should include:

Key Visualizations:

  • Competitive positioning matrix (market share vs. innovation)
  • Funding and valuation comparison charts
  • Feature comparison heatmap showing product capabilities
  • Market timeline showing strategic moves and launches
  • Competitive threat assessment scoring

Interactive Elements:

  • Clickable competitor profiles with key metrics
  • Filterable views by company size, funding stage, or market focus
  • Hover effects revealing detailed company information
  • Dynamic charts that update based on user selections

Executive Summary Panel:

  • Top 3 competitive threats with threat level indicators
  • Identified market gaps and opportunities
  • Strategic recommendations for competitive response
  • Key performance benchmarks vs. competitors

Design it for C-level executives who need to quickly understand the competitive landscape and make strategic decisions. Use professional styling with clear data visualization and actionable insights."

Claude will generate a complete interactive HTML dashboard with professional charts, hover effects, and executive-ready insights.

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Pro tip: Claude Opus 4's research capability is incredibly powerful, it can conduct multi-source research that rivals professional market research firms.