Industry Landscaping: How to Get a Clear View of Competitive Terrain

Posted by | Fuld & Company

Whether assessing a market for entry, defending share, or planning for the next fiscal cycle, understanding who’s moving, how fast, and in what direction enables smarter, faster decisions. 

Yet “industry landscaping” often gets reduced to static quadrant models or outdated market reports. Sophisticated strategists know that mapping the competitive terrain requires more than a list of names. It demands synthesis—of structures, signals, and shifts. 

Seeing the Whole Picture 

When executives say they want an “industry overview,” they often mean something far more dynamic. They want to know: 

• Who are the real disruptors—and who just has good PR? 
• How are value chains evolving? 
• Where are the white spaces? 
• Which companies are quietly gaining ground in niche segments? 

A robust industry landscape analysis answers these questions by integrating multiple layers of intelligence: 

• Market structure and segmentation 
• Emerging entrants and incumbents 
• Customer dynamics and unmet needs 
• Investment flows and M&A activity 
• Technology pipelines and IP movements 
• Strategic intent (through partnerships, hiring patterns, patents, etc.) 

The most effective landscaping exercises don’t just look at what’s happening now, but what is likely to happen next—and who is best positioned to capitalize. 

From Snapshots to Systems Thinking 

Most industry maps are snapshots: moment-in-time visuals that lack depth or direction. What’s more useful is a system view—understanding the interdependencies and friction points that shape how the market works and evolves. 

This requires blending quantitative research (e.g. market size estimates, growth rates, pricing trends) with qualitative signals (such as leadership shifts, partnership activity, or regulatory developments). It also demands asking the right questions: 

• What are the “hard points” where competitors consistently win or lose? 
• How are customers shifting their buying criteria? 
• Are new players redefining what it means to compete in this space? 

Incorporating early warning signals—such as rising patent activity in a niche technology or capital investment in a dormant segment—can further sharpen the picture. 

Explore our Early Warning Systems services 

A Closer Look: Healthcare Diagnostics as a Case in Point 

Consider the recent transformation in the healthcare diagnostics space. What was once a linear market with a handful of dominant incumbents has morphed into a fragmented, data-driven ecosystem. Consumer testing companies, digital health startups, hospital systems, and pharma firms now all operate in overlapping terrain. 

Through a multi-layered industry landscaping project, a global diagnostics company identified an emerging cluster of AI-enabled imaging startups targeting adjacent use cases. While these players didn’t appear in traditional competitive analyses, their underlying tech and growing partnerships with hospital systems suggested a significant shift was underway. 

This intelligence helped the company pre-emptively explore partnerships and develop counter-positioning strategies—well before market analysts took note. 

See more industry case studies  

Elevating Competitive Intelligence 

For firms already investing in competitive and market intelligence, industry landscaping offers an opportunity to step back—and look beyond direct competitors. It’s a way to challenge assumptions, reset mental models, and find unexpected opportunities. 

It’s especially powerful when paired with: 

• Scenario planning to anticipate plausible futures 
• Benchmarking & KPI analysis to calibrate internal performance 
• Strategic wargaming to pressure-test market plays 

The ultimate goal isn’t just to map the present—but to anticipate how the terrain might shift, and position accordingly. 

Industry landscaping isn’t a one-time deliverable. It’s a mindset—a disciplined way of seeing the external world not just as it is, but as it is becoming. For organizations facing uncertainty or preparing for transformation, this kind of structured intelligence is essential. 

To see how your competitive terrain is evolving—and what it means for your strategy—explore Fuld & Company’s Business & Industry Research solutions, or get in touch with our consulting team. 

Tags: Consumer Products & Retail, Disruption, Energy, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Information Technology, Strategic Planning