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Use the Comparison Deck

The Comparison Deck lets you analyze multiple competitors' strategies side-by-side to understand what's working in your market.

What is the Comparison Deck?

The Comparison Deck is a tool that displays multiple competitors' ad strategies in a structured format:

  • Side-by-side comparison - View multiple competitors' top ads simultaneously
  • Strategy analysis - Understand each competitor's approach
  • Pattern identification - Spot common winning elements
  • Trend detection - See what's emerging in your market

Creating a Comparison Deck

Step 1: Access the Comparison Deck

  1. Log in to Appgrowing
  2. Click Comparison Deck in the left sidebar
  3. Click Create New Deck

Step 2: Name Your Deck

Give your deck a descriptive name:

  • "SLG Games - Top Publishers"
  • "AI Tools - US Market Leaders"
  • "Gaming Apps - Q1 2024 Strategies"
  • "Competitors - Creative Comparison"

Step 3: Select Competitors

Option A: Add Specific Apps

  1. Click Add Competitors
  2. Search for specific apps or publishers
  3. Select up to 10 competitors
  4. Click Add

Example:

  • Whiteout Survival
  • Last War: Survival
  • Kingshot
  • Playrix games

Option B: Select by Category

  1. Click Select Category
  2. Choose a category (Gaming, AI Tools, etc.)
  3. Appgrowing shows the top 10 apps in that category
  4. Select the ones you want to compare

Option C: Select by Region

  1. Click Select Region
  2. Choose a country or region
  3. Choose an industry
  4. Select top advertisers in that market

Step 4: Choose Comparison Metrics

Select what you want to compare:

  • Top Creatives - Their highest-performing ads
  • Recent Launches - Their newest ads
  • Creative Types - Video, image, playable, etc.
  • Regional Focus - Where they're advertising
  • Spend Trends - How their budget changes
  • Engagement Metrics - Performance data

Step 5: Set Time Period

Choose the data range:

  • Last 7 days - Most recent activity
  • Last 30 days - Recent trends
  • Last 90 days - Broader patterns
  • Custom range - Specific date range

Step 6: Create Your Deck

  1. Review your selections
  2. Click Create Comparison Deck
  3. Appgrowing generates your deck

Understanding the Comparison Deck Layout

Competitor Columns

Each column represents one competitor:

  • Company/App Name - At the top
  • Total Ads - Number of active creatives
  • Active Creatives - New ads this period
  • Estimated Spend - Total ad budget
  • Top Regions - Geographic focus

Creative Rows

Each row shows a specific creative:

  • Thumbnail - Visual preview
  • Creative Details - Script, voiceover, music info
  • Performance Metrics - Impressions, engagement, reach
  • Launch Date - When the ad was first seen
  • Status - Active or paused

Comparison View

View the same metric across all competitors:

                Competitor A    Competitor B    Competitor C
Hook Type       Conflict        Curiosity       Transformation
Voiceover       Excited         Calm            Authoritative
Music Tempo     Fast            Moderate        Fast
CTA             Download        Learn More      Sign Up
Avg Engagement  3.2%            2.1%            4.5%

Analyzing Your Comparison Deck

Step 1: Identify Top Performers

  1. Look at each competitor's top creatives
  2. Note which ads have the highest engagement
  3. Identify common elements in top performers
  4. Look for patterns across competitors

Example: "Competitor A's top 3 ads all use a conflict hook in the first 3 seconds. Competitor B's top ads use curiosity hooks. Competitor C's top ads use transformation stories."

Step 2: Analyze Creative Strategy

For each competitor, note:

  • Hook Type - What captures attention
  • Narrative Structure - How they tell the story
  • Voiceover Tone - How they speak to the audience
  • Visual Style - Color, composition, effects
  • Music Choice - Genre, tempo, mood
  • Call-to-Action - What they ask viewers to do

Step 3: Spot Patterns

Look for common elements across competitors:

  • Winning Hooks - Which hooks appear most in top ads?
  • Dominant Styles - What visual or narrative styles are most common?
  • Voiceover Preferences - What tones work best?
  • Music Trends - What music styles are popular?
  • CTA Patterns - What CTAs drive the most action?

Step 4: Identify Gaps

Look for what competitors are NOT doing:

  • Underused Hooks - Hooks that could differentiate you
  • Unexplored Styles - Visual or narrative approaches no one is using
  • Underrepresented Regions - Markets competitors aren't focusing on
  • Missing Angles - Creative approaches that could stand out

Look at the overall market:

  • Trend Direction - Is the market moving toward or away from certain styles?
  • Emerging Approaches - What new creative strategies are emerging?
  • Seasonal Patterns - How does the market change by season?
  • Regional Differences - Do different regions prefer different styles?

Using AI to Analyze Your Deck

Get Comparative Insights

  1. Select multiple creatives from your deck
  2. Click AI Mode
  3. Ask questions like:
    • "What are the common winning elements across these top ads?"
    • "What creative strategy is most effective in this market?"
    • "What gaps exist in the current market?"
    • "What new creative angles could differentiate my brand?"

Get Trend Analysis

  1. Select 10+ creatives from your deck
  2. Click AI Mode
  3. Ask:
    • "What creative trends are emerging in this category?"
    • "How is the market evolving?"
    • "What's the next big trend in this space?"

Get Competitive Recommendations

  1. Select your competitors' top creatives
  2. Click AI Mode
  3. Ask:
    • "How should I differentiate from these competitors?"
    • "What creative strategy would stand out?"
    • "What variations could outperform these ads?"

Comparison Deck Examples

Example 1: SLG Games Market

Competitors: Whiteout Survival, Last War: Survival, Kingshot

Key Findings:

  • All top ads use conflict hooks (battles, danger)
  • Video format dominates (>80% of top ads)
  • Fast-paced music with 120+ BPM is standard
  • CTAs focus on immediate action ("Download Now")
  • US and Korea are primary markets

Opportunity:

  • Test a curiosity hook (underused in this market)
  • Try a story-driven narrative (most use action-only)
  • Target emerging markets (India, Brazil)

Example 2: AI Tools Market

Competitors: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini

Key Findings:

  • Educational hooks dominate (showing capabilities)
  • Mix of video and interactive demos
  • Calm, authoritative voiceovers
  • CTAs focus on learning ("Try Free", "Learn More")
  • Global distribution with focus on US, UK, Canada

Opportunity:

  • Test emotional hooks (most are rational)
  • Use testimonials (underused in this market)
  • Target non-English speaking markets more

Example 3: E-commerce Market

Competitors: Amazon, Shopify, eBay

Key Findings:

  • Product showcase is dominant format
  • Before-after transformations are common
  • Testimonials and social proof are key
  • CTAs focus on shopping ("Shop Now", "Browse")
  • Mobile-optimized designs are standard

Opportunity:

  • Test lifestyle storytelling (most focus on products)
  • Use influencer partnerships (underused)
  • Create category-specific campaigns

Exporting Your Deck

Generate a Report

  1. Open your comparison deck
  2. Click Generate Report
  3. Choose report type:
    • Competitive Analysis Report
    • Market Trend Report
    • Creative Strategy Report
  4. Customize sections
  5. Download as PDF or CSV

Share with Your Team

  1. Click Share
  2. Choose sharing method:
    • Email link
    • Generate shareable URL
    • Export as PDF
  3. Add notes or annotations
  4. Share with team members

Deck Management

View All Decks

  1. Click Comparison Deck in the sidebar
  2. See all your saved decks
  3. Click a deck to open it
  4. Click Edit to modify competitors or metrics

Update a Deck

  1. Open your deck
  2. Click Refresh Data to get latest metrics
  3. Click Edit to change competitors or settings
  4. Click Delete to remove the deck

Best Practices

Create Focused Decks

  • Create separate decks for different purposes
  • Compare 3-5 competitors per deck (more gets overwhelming)
  • Focus on direct competitors or market leaders

Review Regularly

  • Check your decks weekly or monthly
  • Look for trends, not daily changes
  • Compare period-over-period (month vs. month)

Combine with Other Tools

  • Use decks alongside benchmarks for ongoing tracking
  • Use AI mode to understand patterns
  • Use the ad library to dive deeper into specific creatives

Act on Insights

  • When you spot a winning pattern, test it
  • When you find a gap, move quickly to fill it
  • When trends emerge, adapt your strategy
  • When competitors change, understand why

Comparison Deck Limits by Plan

FeatureFreeProEnterprise
Active Decks15Unlimited
Competitors per Deck310Unlimited
Creatives Shown1050Unlimited
Update FrequencyMonthlyWeeklyDaily
Export ReportsNoYesYes
AI AnalysisLimitedUnlimitedUnlimited

Next Steps

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