TL;DR
- Competing in categories defined by larger players feels like a losing battle
- Learn how 5-hour Energy beat giants by changing their competition from Red Bull to a cup of coffee
- 15-min exercise to find the context where you are the obvious choice
When 5-hour Energy launched, it faced two giants:
Red Bull and Monster.
Competing on their terms - bigger cans, more sugar, sponsoring extreme sports - would have been a losing battle.
Instead, they did something brilliant.
They reframed, entirely.
They didn't sell an "energy drink"; they sold a 2oz "energy shot."
The competition wasn't Red Bull anymore. It was a 2PM cup of coffee.
The target wasn't college students; it was tired, working adults who needed to get through a board meeting, not a motocross race.
By changing the context, they made their unique strengths - small, fast, sugar-free - the only factors that mattered.
And beyond finding a different position, they created a different frame where they were the obvious choice.
This story highlights a subtle trap that's easy for any business to fall into.
When you're responsible for everything, the default path is to compete in an established category.
It feels like the safest route, but often leads to fighting an uphill battle against bigger players with bigger budgets.
And the challenge then becomes being unintentionally caught in a competitive frame defined by someone else.
Here's the pattern:
- Said company enters established category (insurance, financial advisor, etc.)
- They adopt that category's standard positioning and messaging
- Prospects evaluate them using that category's default criteria (price / features)
- The business often loses to whoever has more resources or undercuts on price
When you compete in someone else's frame, you play by their rules. ...rules that favor them, not you.
The goal isn't to necessarily be "different."
It's to change the context so your natural strengths become the deciding factors.
15-min Context Reframe Exercise
Your positioning (whether intentional or not) defines what prospects compare you against.
Get that frame wrong, and everything else breaks.
Use these steps - paired with your AI - to find your actual competitive context in the next 15-min:
1 / Identify What You're Really Replacing
What would prospects do if you didn't exist?
Not just direct competitors.... think real alternatives like spreadsheets, internal staff, or simply doing nothing.
This is your actual competitive set.
AI Prompt: Act as a potential customer for a company that [describe your company in one sentence]. I haven't decided to buy anything yet. What are all the different ways I might solve my problem WITHOUT buying from you or a direct competitor? List manual processes, simpler tools, or internal workarounds I might be using right now.
2 / Name the Specific Problem You Solve
Not the category you fit into.
The specific problem you solve.
"Help restaurants manage inventory" is more valuable than "restaurant software."
The problem defines the frame.
AI Prompt: My company is a [your category, e.g., 'marketing agency']. My ideal customers are [your ideal customer]. Based on what we do: [list 3-5 key activities or services], what is the core PROBLEM we solve for them? Frame the answer as "You help [customer] who struggle with [the core problem].
3 / Articulate Why You're the Best Answer to that Problem
What about how you're built, who you serve, or how you work makes you the obvious choice for this specific problem?
It's less about being "better" and more about being obviously right for the situation.
AI Prompt: Here is my context: - The Problem I Solve: [Paste your answer from Step 2] - My Unique Attributes: [List 1-3 unique features, e.g., ‘We only work with construction companies,’ ‘Our founder is a former project manager.’] Combine these into a single sentence that starts with: “For [my ideal customer] who struggles with [the problem], we are the only choice because…"
That final sentence is the foundation of a powerful reframe. Don't worry if it isn't perfect on the first try. Its real job is to spark a new way of thinking about how you position your business - and start changing the convo from features and price to being the perfect fit for the situation.
That's all for today,
Dani
P.S. I'm always curious to hear how these exercises land. Hit reply and let me know what you discovered.