Creative Concepts
Part of Performance creative research
Reviewing competitor messages without copying them
Record what competing ads and pages show, identify buyer questions and develop an original response from your own evidence.
Review competitor messages to identify the buyer questions visible in the material you inspect. Record what an ad or page actually says, then develop your response from your own product evidence.
A competitor review is a snapshot; it does not prove that a claim is accurate, effective or representative of everything buyers see.
Choose one review question
Decide which buying question matters before collecting examples: how alternatives explain installation, what they include, or how they help customers compare sizes. Include relevant alternatives beyond direct competitors when buyers might solve the task another way.
For each ad or page, record the advertiser, location, date seen, product version, visible words and images, and destination. If you use an ad library or transparency tool, record the filters and settings you applied.
Record / Question
- Buyer question
- Which decision does the message appear to address?
- Claim
- What does the ad or page actually say or show?
- Support shown
- Can a buyer inspect the stated detail or condition?
- Your possible answer
- What can your business explain with its own evidence?
Keep description separate from judgement. “The page lists installation steps” is an observation. “Buyers trust this brand more” would require other evidence.
Competitor Messaging vs. Your Original Response: Key Differences
- Buyer Question Addressed
- How do alternatives explain installation?
- Support Shown
- Video demo on product page; no third-party verification.
Check whether there is an opening
Group messages by the question they answer. If few of the inspected pages explain access requirements, ask customers whether that information matters. The observed absence does not establish an unmet market-wide need.
Check whether your business has a current, useful answer. A distinct message may explain a real process, specification or condition more clearly. If the answer cannot be verified, improve the underlying information before proposing an ad claim.
For example, a business could inspect how other pages describe hire duration, then investigate whether its customers need collection details. It could consider a message about its documented collection process only after verifying that process.
Key Compliance and Evidence Standards for Ad Claims
- ACCC Requirement
- Businesses must substantiate claims about products/services.
- IP Australia Guidance
- Avoid infringing others’ intellectual property when using competitor ideas.
- Google Ads Policy
- Claims must be accurate and verifiable through transparent evidence.
Develop original work
Use competitor material as an observation record, not as copy or artwork for a brief. Develop your own wording and artwork from your own evidence.
If a proposed ad compares your offer with a competitor's, verify the products, dates and conditions separately. The ACCC can require businesses to back up claims they make about their products or services. Do not infer a competitor weakness from one ad or an old page.
How to Review Competitor Messages Without Copying Them
- Identify the buyer questionDetermine which decision point the competitor’s message addresses—e.g., installation time, included components, or size comparison.
- Record factual detailsNote advertiser, date seen, product version, visible words/images, and destination URL. Use ad libraries with filter settings documented.
- Verify your own evidenceEnsure your response is based on verifiable data—such as ABN-registered service logs or GST-compliant documentation.
- Develop original messagingCreate unique wording and visuals from your own product data—never copy competitor creative.
