How Wilko’s misfortune became an opportunity for search competitors

In August of this year, Wilko, a well-known retail brand, faced financial turmoil that led to them going into administration. This event sent shockwaves through the industry, raising questions in the search advertising landscape about market share, and competitor strategies, as well as presenting opportunities for those quick to adapt. 

In this blog, we’ll dive into the impact this had on Wilko’s competitors and how Adthena can help your brand adapt and thrive in sudden market changes.

What does this mean for you as a competitor? 

Wilko’s misfortune became a prime opportunity for their competitors to pick up their market share. To understand the impact, we need historical data on Wilko’s market share, which can help us identify their previous standing among competitors. Who were the key players they were up against?

Above: Adthena Market Share showing how Wilko’s share of clicks has increased year to date before they completely went offline from PPC at the end of July.

The current landscape: learning from Homebase

One notable example of how competitors adapted to Wilko’s situation is Homebase. In July, when Wilko experienced a dip, Homebase swiftly adapted their strategy to capture the competitor’s click share. Adthena’s data plays a pivotal role here, offering real-time insights into competitors’ strategies. With Adthena’s Market Trends, businesses can monitor changes in competitors’ bidding behaviors, identify top-performing ad copy, and even swoop in on the traffic of a competitor that drops offline. 

Above: Adthena Market Share showing Homebase picking up Wilko’s click share 

Amazon reaping the rewards

For Wilko’s competitors like Amazon, the main goal in the wake of their administration is to capitalize on market share. The search advertising arena is highly competitive, and opportunities to grab a larger piece of the pie can be fleeting. Adthena’s insights provide the necessary visibility to make informed decisions and seize these opportunities whenever possible.

For the search term “wallpaper Wilko,” Amazon capitalized on Wilko’s absence, grabbing 100% of their traffic. This scenario underscores the importance of using Adthena to monitor competitor visibility and capitalize on opportunities when rivals falter.

Above: Adthena data reveals competitor, Amazon, picking up close to 100% of the traffic as Wilko goes offline 

Capitalizing on market share to set your brand up for success

To ensure you never miss a significant market shift like the one caused by Wilko’s administration, Adthena offers Market Trends reports with alerts. These reports notify you of significant changes in competitors’ strategies, enabling you to respond promptly and strategically.

Adaptability is the name of the game. Wilko’s administration serves as a reminder that businesses must be agile and proactive. Adthena’s search intelligence can be a useful resource for companies looking to capitalize on market shifts and competitor weaknesses. Stay informed, set up alerts, and keep a keen eye on trends, because coming out on top stronger is the only way to beat your rivals. 

Take a quick tour of the Adthena platform and see how you could dominate your market.