⚔️ Battle of the Platforms: How Beehiiv Outmaneuvered Kit with a Competitive Marketing Coup

Beehiiv pulled off one of the most strategically competitive marketing moves we’ve seen in a while, and it was all in public.

Here’s the scene: ConvertKit made a big decision to rebrand as simply Kit, streamlining its identity and signaling its focus on the creator economy. CEO Nathan Barry announced the rebrand over the summer, and the team has been hyping it up throughout the summer.

But just as Kit was celebrating unveiling its fresh, new branding, Beehiiv (their top competitor) swooped in like a hawk eyeing a rabbit.

Ok, so now let's break down what Beehiiv did, tactics, and takeaways because the bigger picture here is more than just hijacking Kit’s moment:

🐝 The Setup: A Creator-Centric Coup

ConvertKit’s was intended to simplify their offering and reflect a renewed focus on empowering creators to monetize their newsletters. Sounds solid, right?

Not on Beehiiv’s watch. Just as Kit’s rebrand dropped on Oct 1st, Beehiiv launched an aggressive campaign targeting Kit’s very audience—**creators**.

Beehiiv subscribed to newsletters hosted on ConvertKit/Kit and reached out directly to those users with a killer offer: switch to Beehiiv, and we’ll give you migration bonuses that make it worthwhile.

It’s like going to a rival’s birthday party and handing out invites to your own, cooler party—**on the same night**.

It didn’t stop there, though Beehiiv employees posted about the offer across all of social media, especially Twitter (I refuse to call it X), where many creators are. 

🖼️ The Bigger Picture: Positioning and Counter-Positioning

Beehiiv is counter-positioning its platform vs. Kit’s. A true challenger brand.

Beehiiv’s Counter-Position: While Kit’s rebrand was shiny and sleek, Beehiiv’s messaging directly played into creators' biggest pain points - ease of use, monetization, and growth.

Beehiiv’s competitive campaign is a masterclass in counter-positioning and Behiiv’s positioning was clear:

"We are the platform that actually makes creators' lives easier, and we ship product updates."

Beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk even compares this to Apple Vs. Mac’s positioning in his newsletter Big Desk Energy.

(PS If you really want to dive into Mac VS Apple positioning, check out this 10 minute clip from Mark Ritson on the topic:)

Yes, Beehiiv used timing to its advantage, but it cleverly positioned themselves as the platform that prioritizes creators by shipping products.

The Offer - Migration Perks:

Sure, hyping up your launch day on social media is great, and yeah, being the platform that consistently delivers builds trust—but sometimes, your customers need a little extra nudge to seal the deal. And that’s exactly what Beehiiv nailed.

Beehiiv rolled out sweet bonuses and irresistible incentives to woo Kit users, making the switch feel like an upgrade, not just a sidestep.

The result? An offer that was just too tempting for many creators:

Beehiiv’s bonuses and incentives make the jump feel like an upgrade, not just a lateral move.

Timing + Targeting + Counter-Positioning = Your Competitive Advantage

Beehiiv turned Kit’s big day into their own spotlight moment. Alright, let’s look into some key takeaways you can apply to your own strategy:

1. Timing: Striking right the same day as a major rebrand, when customers were paying attention. Whether it’s rebrands, product launches, or other pivotal moments in a competitor's journey, be ready to make your move when the time is right.

2. Positioning: Lean into their creator-first mindset, emphasizing that their focus is on rolling out features that actually help creators thrive. This directly challenges Kit’s rebranding effort by showing that while Kit is all about a fresh look, they are all about delivering tools that matter most to creators.

3. Incentivizing: Making it easy (and financially beneficial) for Kit users to replace.

Now you might be thinking, “Ehh, I don’t know how I feel about this.”

I can say that Beehiiv is far from the first and certainly won’t be the last to run a competitive takeout campaign like this with a sweet incentive to get customers to switch.

The truth is a lot of businesses don’t really talk about competition in public. (That is part of the reason I started this newsletter)

In fact, Kit’s CEO Nathan Barry even had his own competitive take-out cold email back when he was building ConverKit:

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