The Power of Looking Sideways

Comparison gets a bad name in business. It’s seen as defensive or derivative, a sign that you’ve run out of ideas. But when used thoughtfully, comparison can be the most creative act of all. It’s the art of looking sideways, of learning from others, not to copy them, but to understand yourself more clearly.

This autumn, as we’ve been conducting competitor research for a client, I’ve been struck by how the same principles that make comparison healthy for individuals apply equally to organisations.

When a company studies a competitor, it’s not about envy or mimicry. It’s about curiosity. It’s a way of holding up a mirror and asking: What do they show us about what customers care about most? Where are we strong, and where are we silent? What do we want to stand for?

Comparison as Clarity

In our research, looking closely at an industry competitor through the eyes of a customer didn’t just reveal what they do well, like precision, trust and consistency.  It highlighted the spaces where warmth, reassurance and human connection were missing. Those gaps became creative opportunities.

That’s what healthy comparison does: it turns admiration into insight and gaps into growth.

Comparison as Calibration

Good competitor research helps you find your own rhythm. It shows the standards your market now takes for granted, and where you can lead by being truer, simpler or braver.

It’s not about outdoing someone else, but about refining your own edge and identifying the thing only you can do and how you can amp that up by putting everything you have into what you do .

Comparison as Catalyst

When you see another brand deliver something beautifully, it can spark your next evolution. Comparison becomes fuel for innovation and a firm nudge to reimagine what you already have. In that sense, your competitors become unlikely collaborators in your own development.

As the seasons shift, it feels like a good moment to remember that comparison can be used with curiosity rather than fear and can be a rich form of intelligence. It helps you locate your next chapter not by running faster, but by seeing more clearly.

As one client said: “There’s nothing more powerful than watching your target customer move through every step of a competitor’s journey — it challenges your strategy and forces you to re-prioritise what really matters – including where you invest in tech and in people.”