If you’re an analyst relations (AR) professional, you’re probably no stranger to wearing multiple hats. For many, it feels like it’s written into the job description!
Still, though, Sarah Robin, senior AR manager at The Trade Desk, an omnichannel advertising platform, juggles more hats than most — and she’s done so since Day One.
When Sarah joined The Trade Desk two-and-a-half years ago, diving into a new industry, she thought she knew what she’d signed up for: building an AR program from scratch.
But just a week in, her boss dropped a curveball: “Sarah, surprise, you’re also going to own our company’s competitive strategy.”
It was defining a moment: run for the hills or embrace the challenge? Sarah chose the latter. And at ARchitect User Forum, she captivated the audience by sharing lessons from her journey, along with ways to transform AR into the cornerstone of competitive strategy.
Here are five key takeaways:
1. AR supercharges competitive strategy
“Our role in analyst relations makes us uniquely fit to take our competitive strategy to the next level to help our teams and our company win even more,” Sarah said. “Analyst relations brings to the table probably the most impactful competitive assets… You’re already built into the competitive team.”
The key? Apply an AR mindset and resources — such as analyst reports, insights, market intelligence, and analysts themselves — to power a winning competitive intelligence engine. In addition, Sarah taps into analyst expertise when developing competitive resources, such as “battlecards,” by seeking analyst feedback through inquiries and in-person advisory sessions.
“I’ve been leaning on analysts to say, ‘Hey, do these talk tracks sound good to you? Do they resonate with market needs? Do they align with where the market is heading?’” Sarah shared. “That’s been a huge help.”
One analyst even contributed to the battlecards by creating charts to highlight competitive market share and saturation.
2. Competitive strategy knowledge
bolsters AR, too
For Sarah, owning competitive strategy has strengthened relationships with analysts — who are interested to hear The Trade Desks’ competitive insights too — and led to more successful AR outcomes.
“We get asked to help with [more] research; it’s been collaborative,” Sarah explained. “We’ll lean on the analysts, but they lean on us too. I love that — because that means we’re interacting on a regular basis because they want to hear what we think. That has definitely elevated our relationship with the analysts.”
Sarah’s deep dive into competitive intelligence has also enhanced her confidence and expertise as an AR professional.
“In the past, I wasn’t necessarily as knowledgeable about the products. But now, if I invite the head of product to a briefing, and something happens, and he doesn’t show up, I can still have that conversation and not feel totally lost,” she shared. “So, I really appreciate that. I do rely on folks in the company, but I also know I can hold my own when I’m speaking about our product and our competitors.”
3. How-to’s for tackling competitive
strategy
As Sarah worked to build the competitive strategy program from scratch, she made a list of key to-do’s.
“The first thing I did was define what a competitive strategy is, define competitive intelligence, and define what those things should look like at The Trade Desk — because that’s all going to vary depending on your company,” she explained. “We’re all very unique, we have different offerings, and your strategies should match your company and the market you’re in.”
“The first thing I did was define what a competitive strategy is, define competitive intelligence, and define what those things should look like at The Trade Desk — because that’s all going to vary depending on your company,” she explained. “We’re all very unique, we have different offerings, and your strategies should match your company and the market you’re in.”
Some other critical steps she tackled upfront:
- Define success — and how to measure it
- Plan how to scale the program
- Get buy-in from internal teams to contribute — whether by sharing client insights, helping create content or more.
Meeting in person with teams and stakeholders, especially as Sarah developed and refined competitive battlecards, was essential.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m just talking to myself over Zoom,” she admitted. “So, I decided to get out there in the field. I know not everyone can do that, so I feel very lucky I was able to. I went to our offices around the world — meeting the teams and understanding their unique market needs, regional nuances, and different competitors by region. This helps me make sure the assets we create address the needs of all our teams globally — not just where we’re headquartered.”
4. Technology lends a hand
“For me, being a one-woman show owning analyst relations and competitive strategy, I needed some help,” Sarah said. “Thank goodness for ARchitect [AR productivity software] because I get updates whenever our company is mentioned, whenever our competitors are mentioned — what analysts are saying about them, and what analyst perception is. These are things the company might not have without the AR role, so we bring a really big piece of the competitive strategy.”
Sarah also relies on competitive intel software from Klue to automate data collection, aggregate customer reviews, and help build out competitive assets.
5. The results speak for themselves!
With a well-thought-out and thorough approach to AR and competitive strategy, The Trade Desk can better capitalize on synergies in those areas and more easily “move the needle.”
Take Sarah’s approach to battle cards: evolving them from static resources to interactive ones that now also include analyst insights, feedback from global teams, and the “why” and “so what?” behind value propositions. As a result of this new approach, engagement with battlecards has skyrocketed from 40% to 90%!
Sarah has also found her dual roles fulfilling — explaining that owning competitive strategy alongside AR “elevated my role in the company and allowed me to be even more involved with the sales cycle. The sales folks will reach out to me to help with pitch decks, talk tracks and positioning. If they run into a competitor they don’t know anything about, or get stuck on figuring out how to go up against them in a deal, I can be the person they come to.”
Indeed, it’s a powerful example of how AR and competitive strategy can come together to drive collaboration, amplify impact and position the companies for long-term success.
If you have questions for Sarah, or would like to connect, you can reach her on LinkedIn. And stay tuned as we continue to summarize powerful insights from other ARchitect User Forum presentations!
