The audit that shaped Shifted’s entire brand
Read more on the Shifted case study
Outline
00:00
Intro
Chris introduces himself at Parliament and comments that most competitive audits fail to make an impact, often ending up forgotten in slide decks.
00:08
Common pitfalls in audits and the Shifted case study
Chris discusses the common experience of conducting extensive research and analysis only to arrive at decisions that resemble competitors'. He humorously explains the term “buttload” as a real measurement and highlights how Shifted changed the approach to competitive audits. He also recommends checking out a successful case study related to this work.
00:37
Insight into category targeting and sameness
The competitive audit with Shifted revealed that all competitors target the same niche: the obsessive gym enthusiast. They use similar neon colors, tones, and claims—best, most powerful, extra potent—and often feature bare-chested models.
00:52
Shifted’s bold branding strategy
The team decided to take a unique approach with Shifted, intentionally avoiding common trends and aggressive styles prevalent in the market. Instead of following the crowd, they focused on clean design and a calm tone to create a brand that resonates with everyday athletes rather than exaggerated stereotypes. The audit served as a practical blueprint for this distinct direction.
01:19
Audit’s impact on Shifted’s direction and advice
Chris explains how the audit significantly changed Shifted’s strategic direction by revealing new opportunities rather than simply confirming existing beliefs. This insight is crucial for CMOs and brand leaders in competitive markets, emphasizing that audits should help brands break away from category norms rather than merely describe them. If an audit doesn’t lead to change, it’s just homework.
Transcript
Hey friends, it’s Chris at Parliament. Most competitive audits, they die in a slide deck.
Let me know if this sounds familiar. You do tons of research, buttloads of mapping, all the analysis, and then decisions still end up looking like everybody else in the category. And by the way, buttload—it’s a real unit of measurement. I think it’s like a hundred-and-some-odd gallons. It’s like two hogsheads, I think. Look it up.
When it comes to competitive audits, Shifted flipped the script. And by the way, if you haven’t already checked out the case study, give it a look. I mean, it turned out amazing. Great work, good product. You know, it’s the real stuff. I think you’ll really like it.
The competitive audit we did with Shifted exposed a glaring but overlooked insight. Everyone in their category is going after the same obsessed gym rat. Same neon colors, same tone, same claims—best, most powerful, extra potent—same yolk-naked bods.
So together with Shifted, we made a simple call. We weren’t going to look like any of them. I mean, it seems obvious, but following through on it—it’s hard. When everybody’s doing the same thing, when everybody’s going in the same direction, it’s easy to continue to go in that direction. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice, especially in a saturated market.
The audit wasn’t a report. It became a blueprint. No wild colors, no aggression, no alpha energy. That could be them. It’s just not going to be us. We leaned into clean design, a calm tone, a brand built for everyday athletes rather than caricatures.
And let me be clear, the audit changed the direction Shifted was going. It didn’t simply reinforce what they already knew. It changed what they believed about their audience and their product. I mean, really, it revealed white space.
For CMOs, executives, and brand leaders in competitive, commoditized markets, this is the point. An audit shouldn’t describe a category. It should help you break away from it. If a competitive audit doesn’t change the work, it’s just homework.
All right, that’s it for me. Be brave. Stand apart.