Competitive Intelligence
Know your competition. Win more deals. This section provides battlecards for our 5 main competitors with talk tracks, differentiators, and win/loss insights.
Competitive Landscape Overview
Direct Competitors (Gamification/Engagement)
Centrical - Enterprise gamification (contact centers) Bonusly - Peer recognition and rewards
Performance Management (Different Category, Often Compared)
Lattice - Performance reviews and OKRs 15Five - Check-ins and performance management Culture Amp - Engagement surveys and analytics
Quick Competitive Reference
| Competitor | Category | When We Win | When We Lose | Positioning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrical | Gamification | Privacy concerns, speed, transparency | Contact center depth, lower cost | "Privacy-first vs. surveillance" |
| Bonusly | Recognition | Comprehensive platform, behavior change | Budget constraints, simple recognition | "Complete suite vs. bonuses only" |
| Lattice | Performance Mgmt | Daily engagement, cross-functional | Performance review depth | "Daily engagement vs. annual reviews" (co-exist) |
| 15Five | Performance Mgmt | Real-time vs. weekly, gamification | Performance management focus | "Continuous engagement vs. check-ins" (co-exist) |
| Culture Amp | Surveys | Action vs. measurement, daily engagement | DEI analytics, benchmarking | "Improve engagement vs. measure it" (co-exist) |
🎯 Centrical
Type: Direct competitor - Gamification platform for frontline workers
Key Differentiators
✅ Privacy-First vs. Surveillance-Heavy
- Centrical tracks screen activity, call monitoring, time tracking
- PulsePlus tracks outcomes (achievements), not surveillance
- Talk track: "Empowerment, not Big Brother"
✅ AI-Powered vs. Manual Setup
- Centrical: 6-8 weeks implementation with professional services
- PulsePlus: 2-4 weeks with AI content generation
- Talk track: "Launch in weeks, not months"
✅ Transparent Pricing vs. Opaque
- Centrical: Custom enterprise pricing, lengthy negotiations
- PulsePlus: $10-25/user/month, clear and transparent
✅ Comprehensive vs. Point Solution
- Centrical: Gamification + coaching only
- PulsePlus: 9 features (gamification, chat, learning, collaboration, etc.)
When We Win
- Privacy concerns from employees
- Faster time-to-value needed (2-4 weeks vs. 6-8 weeks)
- Multi-department rollout (beyond contact centers)
- Transparent pricing preferred
When We Lose
- Pure contact center play with deep integrations needed
- Budget constraints ($50-100/user vs. $120-300/user)
- Incumbent Centrical with high satisfaction
🎁 Bonusly
Type: Adjacent competitor - Peer recognition and rewards platform
Key Differentiators
✅ Comprehensive Platform vs. Single Feature
- Bonusly: Peer bonuses only
- PulsePlus: XP, achievements, quests, leaderboards, chat, learning, etc.
- Talk track: "9 features vs. 1 feature"
✅ Behavior Change vs. Recognition Only
- Bonusly: Post-hoc recognition (reward after behavior)
- PulsePlus: Drives specific behaviors (quests, objectives)
- Talk track: "Shape behavior, not just reward it"
✅ ROI-Driven vs. Feel-Good
- Bonusly: Hard to measure ROI (bonuses spent = cost)
- PulsePlus: Measurable outcomes (training completion, productivity)
When We Win
- Need comprehensive engagement platform (not just recognition)
- Want to drive specific behaviors (training, compliance, sales activity)
- ROI measurement critical
When We Lose
- Simple peer recognition is sufficient
- Budget constraints (<$5/user/month)
- Strong culture of peer recognition already exists
📊 Lattice
Type: Performance management platform (different category, often compared)
Key Differentiators
✅ Daily Engagement vs. Annual Reviews
- Lattice: Quarterly/annual performance reviews
- PulsePlus: Daily XP, achievements, real-time engagement
- Talk track: "What happens between reviews?"
✅ Gamification vs. Administrative
- Lattice: Feels like HR paperwork (reviews, surveys)
- PulsePlus: Feels rewarding and fun (gamification)
✅ Cross-Functional vs. HR-Only
- Lattice: HR/People Ops tool (reviews, goals, 1-on-1s)
- PulsePlus: Sales, IT, Engineering, Operations, HR
✅ Positive Reinforcement vs. Review Anxiety
- Lattice: Performance reviews create stress
- PulsePlus: Achievements and celebration create motivation
Co-Existence Strategy 🤝
Position as complementary, not competitive:
- Lattice = Performance reviews (periodic measurement)
- PulsePlus = Daily engagement (continuous motivation)
- "Both can coexist. Lattice for annual reviews, PulsePlus for daily engagement."
When We Win
- Daily engagement need (not just periodic reviews)
- Cross-functional use cases (Sales, IT, Engineering)
- Positive culture focus (vs. review anxiety)
When We Lose
- Performance review depth is top priority
- Compensation management critical
- HR-only initiative (no cross-functional support)
🔄 15Five
Type: Performance management (check-ins and continuous feedback)
Key Differentiators
✅ Real-Time vs. Weekly Check-Ins
- 15Five: Weekly written check-ins
- PulsePlus: Real-time XP, achievements, daily engagement
- Talk track: "Why wait a week? Reward daily progress."
✅ Gamification vs. Surveys
- 15Five: Weekly questionnaires and pulse surveys
- PulsePlus: Gamified engagement (XP, quests, achievements)
✅ Behavioral Science vs. Self-Reporting
- 15Five: Relies on employees filling out forms
- PulsePlus: Automatically rewards objective completion
Co-Existence Strategy 🤝
Position as complementary:
- 15Five = Manager check-ins and feedback
- PulsePlus = Daily engagement and motivation
- "Both can work together. 15Five for manager relationship, PulsePlus for daily engagement."
When We Win
- Survey/check-in fatigue
- Need to drive specific behaviors (not just check in)
- Cross-functional use cases
When We Lose
- Manager check-in cadence is top priority
- OKR tracking is critical need
- HR-focused buying motion
📈 Culture Amp
Type: Engagement survey platform (category leader)
Key Differentiators
✅ Action vs. Measurement
- Culture Amp: Measures engagement (surveys, benchmarking)
- PulsePlus: Improves engagement (gamification, behavior change)
- Talk track: "We don't measure engagement. We create it."
✅ Daily Engagement vs. Quarterly Surveys
- Culture Amp: Quarterly pulse surveys
- PulsePlus: Daily XP, achievements, real-time engagement
- Talk track: "What happens between surveys?"
✅ Behavioral Science vs. Survey Science
- Culture Amp: Asks how engaged employees are
- PulsePlus: Makes employees engaged through proven psychology
✅ Positive Focus vs. Problem Focus
- Culture Amp: Identifies what's broken (low scores, gaps)
- PulsePlus: Celebrates what's working (achievements, progress)
Co-Existence Strategy 🤝
Position as complementary (strongest co-exist case):
- Culture Amp = Diagnostic tool (measures engagement)
- PulsePlus = Therapeutic tool (improves engagement)
- "Culture Amp tells you engagement is 62/100. PulsePlus drives it to 81/100."
When We Win
- Survey fatigue (employees tired of questionnaires)
- Action-oriented (want solutions, not just diagnostics)
- Cross-functional (Sales, IT, Engineering, not just HR)
- Cost-effectiveness
When We Lose
- DEI analytics are top priority
- Benchmarking required for board reporting
- Pure survey need (no interest in behavior change)
- Incumbent Culture Amp with high satisfaction
Competitive Positioning Framework
When to Position as Replacement
Use "vs." positioning (replacement):
- Centrical (direct gamification competitor)
- Bonusly (limited single-feature platform)
Talk track: "PulsePlus is a better alternative to [COMPETITOR] because..."
When to Position as Complementary
Use "and" positioning (co-existence):
- Lattice (keep for performance reviews)
- 15Five (keep for manager check-ins)
- Culture Amp (keep for surveys/benchmarking)
Talk track: "PulsePlus works alongside [COMPETITOR]. They do [X], we do [Y]. Together you get [COMPLETE SOLUTION]."
Discovery Questions to Surface Competitors
Ask these to understand competitive landscape:
- "What tools are you currently using for engagement, performance management, or recognition?"
- "How's that working? What's missing?"
- "Are you evaluating any other platforms?"
- "What's important to you in an engagement platform?"
- "Do you need a replacement or a complementary solution?"
If they mention a competitor:
- Listen first (don't bash)
- Acknowledge strengths
- Differentiate on your unique value
- Use appropriate positioning (vs. or and)
Win/Loss Tracking
When you win against a competitor:
- Document why in CRM
- Share win story with team
- Update battlecard with new insights
When you lose to a competitor:
- Conduct win/loss interview
- Understand the real reason
- Adjust positioning or product
Most common win reasons:
- Daily engagement (vs. periodic measurement)
- Gamification (vs. surveys/reviews)
- Cross-functional (vs. HR-only)
- Privacy-first (vs. surveillance)
- Speed to value (vs. lengthy implementation)
Most common loss reasons:
- Incumbent advantage (already using competitor)
- Category preference (want surveys, not gamification)
- Budget constraints
- Feature gap (DEI analytics, comp management)
- HR-only buying motion (no cross-functional support)
Quick Competitive Responses
"We're already using [COMPETITOR]" → "Great! Is it solving all your engagement challenges, or are there gaps we could fill?"
"[COMPETITOR] is cheaper" → "Let's compare total value, not just price. What outcomes matter most—reducing turnover, increasing productivity, accelerating training?"
"[COMPETITOR] has more features" → "More features doesn't mean better outcomes. Let's focus on what you're trying to achieve and whether those features drive results."
"We're happy with [COMPETITOR]" → "That's great. Out of curiosity, what's working well? And what would make it even better? Sometimes PulsePlus complements what you have."
Competitive Battle Plan
Week 1: Study battlecards
- Read all 5 battlecards
- Memorize key differentiators
- Practice talk tracks
Week 2: Role-play competitive scenarios
- Mock calls: prospect mentions competitor
- Practice "vs." and "and" positioning
- Get feedback from managers
Week 3: Apply in real deals
- Use discovery questions to surface competitors
- Position appropriately (replacement or complementary)
- Document wins/losses
Ongoing: Stay updated
- Competitors release new features quarterly
- Review battlecards monthly
- Share competitive intel with team
Ready to win? Pick a battlecard and master the positioning.