Guide · Market Mapping
Market Map Template: How to Visualise Your Competitive Landscape
A market map is the single most effective way to communicate competitive positioning to investors, board members, and your own team. Done right, it tells the entire competitive story in one visual — who the players are, how they cluster, and where the opportunity sits. Done wrong, it is a cluttered mess of logos that communicates nothing. This guide covers the three main market map formats, when to use each one, and how to build them step by step.
Three types of market maps
The term "market map" is used loosely in business, but there are actually three distinct formats. Each serves a different purpose. Choosing the wrong format is the most common market mapping mistake — and it happens because teams default to the format they have seen most recently rather than the one that fits their strategic question.
Category market map (logo landscape)
A grid where the X axis divides companies by category (e.g., CRM, marketing automation, sales enablement) and the Y axis may divide by segment (SMB, mid-market, enterprise) or by another attribute. Companies are plotted as logos in their respective cells. This format is most common in venture capital and analyst reports.
Best for
Showing the full scope of a market with many sub-categories. Useful when you need to communicate where your company sits relative to an entire ecosystem.
Limitation
Does not show relative positioning within a category. All companies in the same cell look equivalent even if they serve very different niches.
2x2 quadrant map (positioning map)
A scatter plot with two carefully chosen axes. Companies are plotted as dots based on their position along each axis. The four resulting quadrants each represent a distinct strategic position. This is the format LandscapeBrief generates automatically.
Best for
Showing competitive positioning and identifying whitespace. The most useful format for strategic decision-making because it forces you to choose the two dimensions that matter most.
Limitation
Limited to two dimensions. Complex markets may need multiple quadrant maps with different axis pairs to tell the full story.
Ecosystem map (value chain map)
A diagram showing how different companies in the ecosystem connect to each other. Companies are grouped by their role in the value chain (data providers, infrastructure, applications, distribution) and connections show partnerships, integrations, or data flows.
Best for
Understanding how a complex market works as a system. Useful for identifying which roles in the ecosystem are unclaimed and where integration opportunities exist.
Limitation
Complex to build and hard to keep updated. Most useful as a one-time strategic exercise, not an ongoing competitive tool.
How to build a 2x2 quadrant market map
The 2x2 quadrant is the most strategically useful market map format. It forces a clear positioning thesis and makes whitespace immediately visible. Here is the process for building one that is genuinely useful rather than decorative.
List 8-15 competitors
Include direct competitors (same product, same customer), indirect competitors (different product, same job to be done), and 1-2 emerging players that are not yet well-known but are gaining traction. Too few competitors and the map looks sparse. Too many and it becomes cluttered.
Collect data on 6-8 attributes per competitor
Before choosing axes, collect data on multiple attributes: pricing tier, target segment, feature breadth vs depth, geographic focus, sales model (self-serve vs sales-led), product maturity, funding stage, and any domain-specific attributes. This gives you options when choosing axes.
Choose two axes that reveal strategic truth
The axis choice is the most important decision in the entire process. Good axes separate competitors into distinct groups and reveal empty quadrants. Bad axes put everyone in the same cluster. Test 3-4 axis combinations before committing. The right pair usually produces an "aha" moment where the market structure suddenly makes sense.
Score each competitor on each axis (1-10)
Use public evidence: pricing pages for price position, G2 reviews for product scope, job postings for market focus, marketing messaging for target segment. Document your sources. A scoring that cannot be defended with evidence is not useful.
Plot and interpret
Plot each competitor as a dot on the quadrant. Look for three things: clusters (where competitors bunch together), outliers (companies in unusual positions), and empty quadrants (whitespace). Clusters represent conventional wisdom. Whitespace represents opportunity — or a trap. You need to determine which.
Label the quadrants
Give each quadrant a descriptive name that captures the strategic position it represents. For example: "Premium Enterprise" (high price, broad feature set), "Budget Niche" (low price, narrow feature set), "Self-Serve Broad" (low price, broad feature set), "Enterprise Specialist" (high price, narrow feature set). Good labels make the map immediately understandable to someone seeing it for the first time.
Write the positioning narrative
The map itself is not enough. Write a 2-3 sentence narrative that explains what the map reveals: where the market clusters, where the whitespace is, and where your company sits or plans to sit. This narrative is what goes on the pitch deck slide or in the board presentation. The map is the evidence; the narrative is the argument.
LandscapeBrief
Build your market map in under 3 minutes
Upload a CSV of competitors and attributes. LandscapeBrief generates a 2x2 quadrant map, identifies clusters and whitespace, and writes the positioning brief automatically.
Build Your Market Map Free →Choosing the right axis pairs
The axes you choose determine the story your map tells. Here are the most common axis pairs organised by the strategic question they answer.
| Axis pair | Strategic question | Common whitespace |
|---|---|---|
| Price vs. Feature breadth | Where is the value gap? | Affordable tools with broad capabilities (the "good enough" opportunity) |
| Horizontal vs. Vertical focus | Is the market ready for specialisation? | Deep vertical solutions that horizontal tools cannot match |
| Self-serve vs. Sales-led | How do customers want to buy? | Product-led growth for traditionally sales-heavy categories |
| SMB vs. Enterprise | Which segment is under-served? | Mid-market (100-1000 employees) that neither SMB nor enterprise tools serve well |
| AI-native vs. Traditional | Is technology reshaping the category? | AI-native approaches to legacy workflows |
| Platform vs. Point solution | Is the market consolidating or fragmenting? | Best-of-breed point solutions that out-specialise platforms |
How to build a category market map
Category maps (also called logo landscapes or Lumascape-style maps) are most useful for showing the full scope of a market. They are popular with VCs and analysts because they communicate the overall market structure at a glance.
Define categories based on buyer behaviour, not product features
Group companies by how buyers think about them, not by how the companies describe themselves. A buyer looking for "help with hiring" sees a different category structure than a product manager categorising "HR tech."
Limit to 4-8 categories
More than 8 categories makes the map visually overwhelming. If your market has 12 natural categories, group the smaller ones into "Other" or create a separate detailed map for the sub-segment you care about.
Use a consistent size metric
If logos are different sizes, the size should represent something consistent — revenue, funding, or market share. Do not mix sizing criteria. If you cannot get consistent data, make all logos the same size.
Highlight your position clearly
Your company should be immediately visible — use a different colour, a border, or positioning at a visual focal point. The map should answer "where do we sit?" within 2 seconds of looking at it.
Date the map
Market maps become outdated quickly. Always include the date of creation and plan to refresh quarterly. A 2-year-old market map in a pitch deck is worse than no market map at all.
Common market map mistakes
×Including too many competitors
A market map with 80 logos communicates nothing except that the market is crowded. Limit your map to the 15-25 most relevant players. If comprehensiveness is needed, create a detailed appendix and keep the main map focused.
×Choosing axes that put you in the best quadrant by definition
If your axes are "has [your unique feature]" vs "does not have [your unique feature]," you have rigged the map. Choose axes that represent genuine strategic dimensions that customers use to make buying decisions.
×Making a static map for a dynamic market
Markets move. Competitors pivot, merge, die, and launch. Build your market map in a format that is easy to update (spreadsheet-driven, not hand-designed). LandscapeBrief generates maps from CSV data, making updates as simple as editing a spreadsheet.
×Forgetting the "so what?"
A beautiful market map without a narrative is wall art, not strategy. Every map needs a 2-3 sentence explanation of what it reveals and what your company should do about it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a market map and a competitive landscape?
A market map is a visual diagram showing where competitors sit relative to each other. A competitive landscape is a broader analysis that includes the market map plus qualitative assessment of competitive dynamics, threats, opportunities, and strategic implications. The map is one component of a comprehensive competitive landscape analysis.
How many competitors should be on a market map?
For a 2x2 quadrant map: 8-15 competitors. For a category market map: 15-30 companies. For an ecosystem map: as many as needed to show the value chain, but typically 20-40. The right number is "enough to show the market structure without creating visual noise."
What tool should I use to create a market map?
For quick 2x2 quadrants: LandscapeBrief (generates from CSV automatically). For category maps: Figma or PowerPoint with a grid template. For ecosystem maps: Figma, Miro, or Lucidchart. Avoid using tools that make updates painful — you will need to refresh the map regularly.
Should the market map go in the pitch deck?
Almost always yes, but choose the right format. Investors expect a competitive slide, and a well-constructed 2x2 quadrant or category map is the clearest way to present it. The map should show your position, the competitive cluster, and the whitespace. Pair it with a one-sentence positioning statement.
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