The Competition, War or Football?
I was watching the latest talk on Balmer and the example he made of the guy with the Apple iPhone. For Balmer, he is at war with Apple. What they do is bad and what we do is good. I know people that won’t talk to me because that dialog might give me some credibility. It’s a view that works for a lot of people.
For me, I’ve always had a problem demonizing competitors. Now that does not mean I don’t like competition. I love it! I think it is what makes great products. However, for me it’s more like football. I’m a Florida Gator and I love when we outsmart, outwork, or generally crush the competition.
At the same time, many of the fans of these other teams are my friends. I even have kids attending other SEC schools. I love to watch a talented player on the other team, and have no problem acknowledging when they do something I think is pretty smart. It makes it better when we beat them 
When it comes to Social Media, I’ve kept to this “Football” analogy. If a competitor has a conference coming up, I’ll retweet it just because I know some of their customers are following me and its useful for them. If one of their employees says something smart in a blog, I’ll repost it. Why? Because, I want to cater to the smart customers. Because, I think the real competition is on the field with the technology not in some poll that can be greatly determined by what happens off the field.
So how do you view your competitors? Does social media change things?
Great post. I totally agree with your philosophy. It comes down to respect and honor. Too few have it these days (Roll Tide). You are wiser than I realized. AND I'm a HUGE fan of the TiltShift photo effect. That stadium shot is the perfect example. Is it yours?
Thanks, Scott!
My analogy probably works better in the south with its big focus on Football this time of the year.
The photo is not mine but do love the cool things you can do with photos these day… especially the combining of real and virtual.
I completely agree. So much that “respect for competitors” is a part of our social media communication policy.
Sincerely,
Your competitor
LOL – Thanks Matt! ….now I'm going back to working on those secret new plays.
Well, I might as well join the love fest. We don't think ourselves as a competitor, because we're in a different market. It's more like the Red Sox competing with the Patriots for air time. That said, we're in the same social media cohort, and it's a pleasure to see everyone acting so darn dignified. Good game, guys.
-Blake
Solid post, great analogy. Seems the longer I'm in this business the more products I touch and the smaller our industry becomes. Here's a twist for you – I bet on average most competitors demonize each other less than end users. I've used a pile of CAD and analysis packages and tend to view it more like a toolbox than Yankees vs. RedSox. Often surprised at how deep passions can run.