For strategy

Positioning that’s always being sharpened

Find the space the brand can own, then keep it. SmokeLadder scores every brand you track against its competitive set, re-scores as the market moves, and reports weekly on what changed.

Run a free analysis for access to:
Positioning Scores Positioning Map Category Insights Differentiation Report
Strategy foundation

Three moves that keep the strategy sharp

Find the direction with data, then keep sharpening it every week.

Score it

A scored position against the whole competitive set

Every brand and its competitors are scored on the same value points, so “we’re different” becomes a position with a number on it and the gap it sits in.

Report it

Weekly reports on what moved and where to double down

Every brand you save is reported on weekly: the takeaway, what shifted, where to double down, and the score history behind it — in your inbox, ready to forward to the room.

Watch it

Alerts the day a competitor moves or a new one surfaces

Competitors are re-scored on a schedule, not when somebody remembers. When one moves past the noise or a new one surfaces, an alert goes out the same day.

Positioning Scores

A direction with the evidence already attached

Every brand is run against the others in their category. Within minutes you’ll have real outputs to use.

Positioning score
62.3/100

Against a category average of 45.8

Category rank
82nd pct

Of 51 scored in Customer Support

Value
38.1/50

How much it communicates

Differentiation
24.2/50

How far that separates it

Above average Below Category average
connects
10+3.1
generate revenue
9+2.6
save time
9+1.1
responsive
9+1.9
reduce effort
9+1.4
innovation
9+1.6
simplify
8+0.1
integrate
8+0.7
variety
8+0.5
expertise
8+0.7
design
8+1.6
reputation
8+0.6
quality
80.0
scalability
8+1.2
organize
7-0.8
inform
7-0.9
configurable
7+0.9
flexible
7+0.3
reach
7+0.6
marketability
7+1.0
stability
6-0.1
vision
6-0.7
lower cost
6+0.4
reduce risk
5-0.9
Connects+3.1 vs avg

Connecting businesses with their customers is Intercom's core value proposition, heavily emphasized throughout the site. They effectively communicate the importance and benefits of strong customer connections.

Reduce Risk-0.9 vs avg

Risk reduction is not a primary focus. Intercom could improve by discussing how their platform helps mitigate risks around customer churn, data security, or compliance.

Read the breakdown, not the total

62.3 out of 100 and the 82nd percentile both sound like a brand in good shape. The split is the finding: 38.1 of 50 on value, 24.2 of 50 on differentiation. The problem is not volume. Turning up the volume is the brief you would have written from the total alone.

And it says so out loud

Intercom is largely indistinguishable from the average brand in this space, with little visible deviation in features or approaches from category norms.
Category Insights → Category Match

Scores move as brands change their sites, and tracked brands are re-scored and reported on weekly. Open the full analysis for intercom.com (free account) →

“SmokeLadder gives marketing teams data-driven feedback on their positioning”

Chad Fife
Chad FifeCRO, Marketing Leader, Minder Memory
What you take into the room

In a form you can put straight in the deck

Nothing here needs rebuilding before it goes in front of a client or an exec. The analysis is the deliverable, not the raw material for one.

The positioning map, with the whole competitive set on the same two axes
Every value point scored against the average for that category, with the reasoning attached
A weekly positioning report for every brand you track, and an alert the day a competitor moves
A message clarity score with the failing criteria named line by line
A differentiation report against a competitor list you choose, not one you inherit
The same scores inside Claude or ChatGPT through the MCP server, so the analysis reaches the tools you already work in
Every section exports
Brand Positioning BriefPDF · MD
Value Point ScoresPDF · MD · CSV
Differentiation ReportPDF · MD
Message ClarityPDF · MD
Category InsightsPDF · MD
Decision MakersPDF · MD

Premium adds an MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and anything else that speaks it — the same scores, with no export step at all.

Find and protect your brand’s ideal position.

Any brand, any competitor. Free, no credit card.