Incumbent Positioning

Position against known incumbents rather than claiming category creation

Emilie Gerber
The ultimate guide to PR | Emilie Gerber (founder of Six Eastern)

Incumbent Positioning

"A lot of companies want to position themselves as category creators, and I actually hate that. It doesn't work. It doesn't land with press, and most of the time it's not totally true. Instead, it's actually really great when you can talk about how you are doing what X household name does, but better for X reasons." - Emilie Gerber

What It Is

Many startups try to position themselves as creating a new category—inventing marketing phrases for their novel approach, claiming to be the first to do anything in their space. This feels strategic but fails with press.

Incumbent Positioning takes the opposite approach: explicitly compare yourself to a well-known company that reporters and readers already understand, then articulate why you're better for specific reasons.

This works because it gives reporters immediate frame of reference. When you say "we're taking on Salesforce with X approach," the reporter instantly knows what you do and can evaluate your differentiation. When you claim to create a new category, reporters have to do extra work to understand what you even mean.

How It Works

The framework has three components:

1. Name the Incumbent Identify the household name or market leader your audience already understands. This should be:

  • Well-known enough that the reporter doesn't need explanation
  • Actually relevant to what you do (not a stretch comparison)
  • Big enough to make the story interesting

2. Articulate the Differentiation Don't just say you're "better"—specify the reasons in concrete terms:

  • What specific approach are you taking?
  • Why does your approach matter?
  • Who benefits from your differentiation?

3. Tell the David vs. Goliath Story Frame the narrative as an underdog taking on a giant. This creates:

  • Built-in tension and drama for the story
  • Reader sympathy for your position
  • A clear narrative arc reporters can follow

How to Apply It

In PR pitches:

  • Subject line: "Company taking on [Incumbent] with [Approach]"
  • Lead with the comparison, then explain differentiation
  • Use this in funding announcements, product launches, and trend pieces

Example: RAMP vs. Bill.com RAMP launched a bill pay offering. Instead of positioning it as "innovative enterprise AP automation" (marketing speak), they framed it as:

  • "RAMP is now able to take on Bill.com"
  • Bill.com was a major FinTech IPO but had only captured 2% of the market
  • The story became about an underdog creating competition

Result: CNBC covered a product launch they normally wouldn't cover. The day after, Bill.com stock dropped and reporters mentioned RAMP in that coverage.

Example: Gamma vs. PowerPoint Instead of claiming to create a new category of "collaborative presentation AI," Gamma positioned as bringing PowerPoint into the 21st century. TechCrunch article headline: "Gamma Brings PowerPoint into the 21st Century."

When to Use It

Use incumbent positioning when:

  • Pitching reporters who need quick context
  • Your differentiation is meaningful but requires setup to explain
  • The incumbent is well-known and associated with limitations
  • You want product news covered (normally hard to get)

Avoid it when:

  • The incumbent comparison is a stretch
  • You truly have no comparable incumbent
  • The incumbent is beloved and you'll seem like the villain
  • Your differentiation requires deep technical explanation

Source

  • Guest: Emilie Gerber
  • Episode: "The ultimate guide to PR | Emilie Gerber (founder of Six Eastern)"
  • Key Discussion: (00:41:24) - Why category creation doesn't work for PR and incumbent positioning does
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

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