Boardroom Definition
Conquesting is a competitive media strategy designed to take (or steal) market share. It involves placing advertisements directly in front of audiences who have demonstrated intent for a competitor's product. Sometimes called "brand bidding" this is executed by bidding on competitor brand keywords in search engines, targeting users who follow competitor social handles, or using location data to serve ads to users physically visiting a competitor’s store. The objective is to disrupt the competitor's purchase funnel and divert the customer to your brand.
Conquesting is mathematically defined by the Cost of Switching. It is almost always less efficient than standard prospecting because you are fighting against established brand affinity.
The Efficiency Penalty (Search): In Search Engine Marketing (SEM), conquesting triggers a "Quality Score" penalty. Because your landing page does not match the keyword (the competitor's name), the platform charges you more per click. Conquest CPC = Base Bid * (1 / Quality Score Factor)
The Win Rate Formula: Success is measured by the Share Shift. Share Shift = (Conquest Volume / Competitor Total Volume) * 100
If a competitor has 10,000 searches and you capture 500 clicks, you have "conquested" 5% of their demand.
The Real Scoop
Conquesting is essentially a high-stakes game of poke the bear. The reality is that while Search Conquesting (bidding on "Nike" when you are "Adidas") is the most common form, the real innovation is in Geo-Conquesting. Brands now use geographic data to draw virtual fences around competitor locations. If a user walks into a car dealership, they are immediately served a mobile ad for a better offer at the dealership down the street.
However, conquesting is typically a low conversion play. Users searching for a specific brand have high intent for that brand. Convincing them to switch requires a compelling value wedge, usually a massive discount or a clearly superior feature set. If you show up with a generic "Buy Now" ad, you risk burning budget with minimal return.
Watch Outs
- The Trademark Trap: In Google Ads, you can bid on a competitor's trademarked keyword, but you generally cannot use their trademark in your ad copy. If you put their name in your headline, your ad will be disapproved or you may face legal action.
- Retaliation Risk: If you start bidding on your competitor's name, they will notice. They will almost certainly retaliate by bidding on your name, driving up your own Cost Per Click (CPC) for your own brand terms. This is known as a bidding war where the only winner is the ad platform.
- Brand Safety: Aggressive conquesting can look desperate. If your ad appears directly on top of a competitor's positive news story or review, it can generate negative consumer sentiment.
