Competitor Envy: Why “Food Envy” and Marketing Envy Are Basically the Same Thing
Because sometimes that rival’s fancy-looking campaign is just overpriced garnish.
The Menu Moment
You know that moment. You’ve sat down in a restaurant, feeling quietly confident with your choice. You’ve studied the menu, weighed your options like a responsible adult, and settled on something perfectly sensible.
Then the food arrives.
Yours: decent. Respectable.
Theirs: sizzling, dramatic, photogenic — clearly plated by someone with artistic trauma and tweezers.
Suddenly, your confidence crumbles faster than a cheap pastry. Welcome to food envy.
And here’s the thing — the same phenomenon happens in marketing. Especially in competitive or tightly regulated sectors (hello, financial services and Sale and Rent Back). You see what your competitors are doing online, in print, or even on TV, and you start thinking, “Should we be doing that too?”
Maybe. But maybe not.
At Island Solutions, we’ve seen brands lose sleep (and budget) over competitor campaigns that look flash but fizzle faster than yesterday’s meringue. So let’s tuck into the psychology of competitor envy — and how to use it to your advantage without giving yourself marketing indigestion.
Competitor Envy — The Digital Buffet
Let’s be honest: comparing yourself to competitors is natural. We all do it.
Scrolling through LinkedIn or Google Ads, you see rival firms boasting about lead volumes, new campaigns, or shiny rebrands. It’s tempting to think, “They’ve cracked it. We’re behind.”
But here’s what you don’t see:
- How much they’re spending to look that way.
- How many of those leads are actually qualified.
- Whether their compliance team is quietly hyperventilating in the background.
Like an Insta influencer’s brunch, marketing success online can be filtered and exaggerated. What looks like a five-star strategy might actually be smoke and mirrors — a few boosted posts, good lighting, and a touch of avocado toast magic.
Lesson one: don’t copy a campaign because it looks successful. Understand why it works — and whether it aligns with your goals, your market, and your regulations.
The Secret Sauce — Understanding Why Competitors Win
In food and marketing alike, the magic is rarely in the garnish — it’s in the method.
Competitors who seem to “always be winning” often have three things nailed down:
- Audience Clarity – They know exactly who they’re serving and what that audience cares about. They’ve researched their buyer personas to death (and back).
- Consistent Experience – Whether it’s a landing page or a live chat, their tone, design, and message are all singing from the same hymn sheet. No brand whiplash.
- Data, Darling – They’re not guessing. They’re tracking performance religiously and adjusting based on results.
So rather than obsessing over the aesthetics of your competitor’s “dish,” ask: what’s their secret ingredient? Then, instead of duplicating it, build your own version that tastes like you.
For regulated sectors and SARB businesses, that often means investing more in trust, compliance transparency, and client empathy — the real flavours that drive loyalty.
Don’t Just Imitate — Innovate (or You’ll Serve Cold Chips)
Copying a competitor’s campaign without context is like ordering their meal without knowing what’s in it. Sure, it might look great — until you discover it’s full of coriander and regret.
Here’s why imitation falls flat:
- Different audiences, different appetites. What works for a national insurance firm won’t necessarily work for a boutique SARB company.
- Regulatory recipes differ. Messaging approved for one brand might breach compliance for another.
- Budgets vary. Your competitor might be throwing money at paid ads while you’re focusing on high-ROI lead nurturing.
Instead, use competitor campaigns as inspiration, not instruction. Analyse what’s drawing attention, identify the gaps, and fill them with your own creative seasoning.
At Island Solutions, we call it “competitive curiosity.” We study the menu, not to order what others have — but to design the dish that makes them say, “We’ll have what they’re having.”
Managing Marketing Envy (Without Losing Appetite)
So, how do you deal with competitor influence without spiralling into self-doubt or overreaction?
1. Benchmark, Don’t Worship
Monitor competitors, yes. But treat it as context, not gospel. Tools like SEMrush or SimilarWeb can show trends without fuelling panic.
2. Stay Customer-Focused
While your competitors are busy bragging about click-through rates, focus on what your clients need — trust, clarity, and reassurance. Especially in SARB and finance, human-first marketing always wins.
3. Embrace Your Niche
Being smaller, specialised, or offshore isn’t a disadvantage — it’s your unique flavour. You can be nimble, witty, and compliant all at once.
4. Celebrate Small Wins
Not every campaign has to go viral. Sometimes, steady lead flow and loyal clients are the true Michelin stars of marketing.
From Envy to Inspiration — Turning the Tables
Food envy doesn’t always have to be bitter. Sometimes it sparks the best creativity. You notice what works for others, reinterpret it with your brand’s DNA, and serve something entirely new.
- Maybe your competitor launched an impressive video campaign — so you create one that focuses on education, not hype.
- Maybe they’re splashing on PPC — so you double down on native advertising and long-form content marketing that positions you as the voice of authority.
- Maybe they’ve rebranded — so you don’t chase the trend, you own your authenticity.
Competitor success isn’t a threat; it’s proof that the market’s alive and the audience’s appetite is strong
Don’t Get Lost in the Menu — Make Your Own Recipe
The next time you scroll through your competitors’ campaigns and feel that pang of marketing “food envy,” remember this: what’s on their plate isn’t necessarily what will satisfy your customers.
You don’t need their secret recipe — you just need to perfect your own ingredients: authenticity, compliance, creativity, and consistency.
At Island Solutions, we help regulated and SARB businesses find that sweet spot — blending compliant messaging with bold ideas that actually work.
So next time you peek over at a competitor’s plate? Smile, take notes, and then order something different — with a side of confidence.
Because the best marketing doesn’t imitate. It innovates.
🍽️ Ready to stop watching your competitors eat your lunch?
Fill out our contact form, and we’ll turn competitor envy into your next winning campaign (and maybe throw in dessert, VAT-free).
