Does "alternative" positioning and messaging work for B2B SaaS companies?

Does "alternative" positioning and messaging work?

Or is it lazy and uncreative marketing?These are questions that pop up when you see things like:

• [Brand] alternative that Plausible Analytics uses (see below), or

• We're the Airbnb of [industry, vertical]

There are two schools of thought:

• By using the above, it is easier for prospects to understand what you do,

• It focuses on the other/bigger brand rather than your product.I'm not a fan of alternative or "we're the X of Y" approaches to positioning.

Good positioning and messaging are clear and unique. They don't piggyback or borrow from other brands.They stand out and stand up by themselves.

If I were Plausible, I'd lean into easy-to-use and lite-weight and forget about Google Analytics.As much as Google Analytics is powerful and robust, there's a market for different analytics.

Many companies want something that's accessible and user-friendly to meet their needs.

If you scroll down Plausible's homepage, what jumps out is "simple analytics."As a positioning and messaging practitioner, that phrase is the show's star.

Now, I understand how Plausible wants to use "Google Analytics alternative" as an SEO play.

But it needs to rally around what makes it unique and different.What are your thoughts on "alternative" positioning and messaging?

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