| name | ecommerce.differentiation-advisor |
| version | 2.0.0 |
| description | Suggest product differentiation and USP using competitor/review evidence. Triggers: how to stand out, USP, competitive advantage, product improvement. Use for positioning and feature strategy, not raw competitor metrics or review monitoring.
|
| allowed-tools | ["Bash","Read","Write"] |
| metadata | {"requires":null,"apis":["nexscope"],"auth":null,"identity":"seller"} |
📖 Analysis Philosophy:
IMPORTANT — Working Directory: All scripts in this skill MUST be executed with the working directory set to the absolute path of the directory containing this SKILL.md file (the skill root directory). Always cd into this directory before running any command. Do NOT use relative paths or shell shortcuts like ~ in paths, as they may not be resolved by the execution environment.
Differentiation Advisor v2.0.0
Product Understanding Step
Before running this skill, if the user provides a product, image, ASIN, listing, product ID, or product idea, first identify:
- product type/category
- main use case
- key physical, design, or functional features
- target marketplace, country, or platform
- user's analysis goal
Use this product understanding to choose parameters, filters, competitors, regions, keywords, or analysis dimensions before executing the script.
🆕 v2.0.0: Now analyzes REAL review content for pain points and competitor strengths!
Core Question
**** — How should I differentiate my product?
When to Use
- User asks "how do I differentiate"
- User asks about or
- User asks "how to stand out" in a category
- User wants competitive advantage analysis
- User is entering a competitive market
Differs From / Not Applicable
- Use competitor-analyzer for raw competitor metrics.
- Use review-checker for deep review pain-point mining.
- Use listing-keyword-optimizer for listing keyword placement.
- Use this skill when the user wants positioning, USP, product improvements, or how to stand out.
What's New in v2.0.0
| Feature | v1.0 | v2.0 |
|---|
| Feature analysis | ✅ From titles | ✅ From titles |
| Pain point mining | ❌ API broken | ✅ Real review text |
| Competitor strengths | ❌ | ✅ From positive reviews |
| USP recommendations | Basic | Enhanced with evidence |
| Action plan | Generic | Specific with timeline |
Data Sources
| Source | Endpoint | Purpose |
|---|
| NexScope Proxy | /api/v1/tools/research/amazon/search | Find competitors |
| NexScope Proxy | /api/v1/tools/research/amazon/reviews/list | Review content (non-US) |
| NexScope Proxy | /api/v1/tools/research/amazon/usReviewsList | Reviews for US market |
Supported Marketplaces
| Market | Domain | Status |
|---|
| UK, CA, DE, FR, JP, AU | Direct | ✅ |
| US | — | ✅ Supported (via /api/v1/tools/research/amazon/usReviewsList) |
⚠️ MANDATORY: Charts & Display Rules
- Generate charts by default for full analytical reports — use
--chart with an output directory unless the user asks for a quick text-only result or chart data is unavailable.
- Send generated charts to the user — when charts are created, share all chart PNGs immediately.
- All chart styling is driven by
ecommerce_chart_helpers.py which reads from chart_style.json (derived from references/display-rules.md). Do NOT hardcode colors in scripts.
Usage
python3 scripts/differentiation_advisor.py '{"keyword": "yoga mat"}'
python3 scripts/differentiation_advisor.py '{"keyword": "bluetooth earbuds", "market": "UK"}'
python3 scripts/differentiation_advisor.py '{"keyword": "yoga mat"}' --chart /tmp/charts
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|
keyword | string | Yes | - | Product category/keyword |
market | string | No | | Marketplace (US, UK, DE, etc.) |
depth | string | No | "standard" | Analysis depth: standard/deep |
feature_categories | array | No | auto-detect | Feature categories to analyze (agent-specified) |
Feature Categories (for feature_categories parameter)
When calling this skill, the agent should pick relevant feature categories based on the product type.
If omitted, the script auto-detects category (skincare/electronics/fitness/general) but coverage is limited.
Available feature keys:
- Skincare:
ingredients, skin_type, fragrance_free, gentle, clinical, cruelty_free, paraben_free
- Electronics:
wireless, battery, noise_cancel, microphone, touch
- Fitness:
material, thickness, grip
- Universal:
eco, durability, comfort, size, waterproof, odor, warranty, certification, portability
Example (dog water fountain):
python3 scripts/differentiation_advisor.py '{"keyword": "dog water fountain", "feature_categories": ["material", "size", "durability", "eco", "waterproof", "certification", "portability"]}'
Output Structure
The output will be a structured markdown report, following this format:
Product Differentiation Strategy Recommendation Report: [Keyword]
1. Executive Summary
- Analysis Keyword: [keyword]
- Analysis Market: [market]
- Products Analyzed: Total [market_data.total_found] found, [market_data.analyzed] analyzed
- Average Product Price: [market_data.avg_price]
- Average Rating: [market_data.avg_rating]
- Core Insight: [insights.summary]
2. Competitor Feature Analysis
| Feature Name | Market Adoption Rate | Status |
|---|
| [common_features[0].name] | [common_features[0].adoption] | [common_features[0].status] |
| ... | ... | ... |
| (Listing all common features) | | |
3. Review Analysis
- Total Reviews Analyzed: [review_analysis.reviews_analyzed]
- Main Pain Points:
| Category | Mentions | Severity | Common Phrases |
|---|
| [review_analysis.pain_points[0].category] | [review_analysis.pain_points[0].count] | [review_analysis.pain_points[0].severity] | [review_analysis.pain_points[0].common_phrases] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
| (Listing all main pain points, can limit quantity) | | | |
| Category | Mentions |
|---|
| [review_analysis.competitor_strengths[0].category] | [review_analysis.competitor_strengths[0].count] |
| ... | ... |
4. Differentiation Opportunities
- Prioritized Recommendations:
| Priority | Type | Opportunity | Insight | Action Recommendation | USP Example |
|---|
| [differentiation_opportunities[0].priority] | [differentiation_opportunities[0].type] | [differentiation_opportunities[0].opportunity] | [differentiation_opportunities[0].insight] | [differentiation_opportunities[0].action] | [differentiation_opportunities[0].usp_title] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| (Listing all differentiation opportunities, can limit quantity) | | | | | |
5. Differentiation Strategies
| Strategy | Unique Selling Proposition | Target Customers | Price Positioning | Key Element | Title Element |
|---|
| [strategies[0].strategy] | [strategies[0].usp] | [strategies[0].target_customers] | [strategies[0].price_position] | [strategies[0].key_element] | [strategies[0].title_element] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
6. Action Plan
| Phase | Action |
|---|
| [action_plan[0].step_phase] | [action_plan[0].action] |
| ... | ... |
7. Attached Visualizations
- Feature Adoption Rate (1_feature_adoption.png)
- Pain Point Analysis (2_pain_points.png)
- Opportunity Priority (3_opportunities.png)
- Competitor Strengths (4_competitor_strengths.png)
Feature Status Levels
| Status | Adoption | Meaning |
|---|
| table_stakes | 80%+ | Must have, everyone has it |
| common | 50-79% | Most competitors have it |
| differentiator | 20-49% | Could set you apart |
| rare | <20% | Potential first-mover advantage |
Opportunity Priority Levels
| Priority | Trigger | Action |
|---|
| 🔴 CRITICAL | HIGH severity pain point (10%+) | Solve immediately |
| 🟠 HIGH | Rare/differentiator feature gap | Add to product |
| 🔵 MEDIUM | Competitor strength to match | Don't fall behind |
| ⚪ LOW | Nice to have | Consider later |
Charts Generated
| Chart | Description | File |
|---|
| Feature Adoption | What competitors have | 1_feature_adoption.png |
| Pain Points | What customers hate | 2_pain_points.png |
| Opportunities | Prioritized strategy | 3_opportunities.png |
| Competitor Strengths | What they do well | 4_competitor_strengths.png |
Workflow
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. INPUT: Keyword │
│ 2. SEARCH: Find competitors │
│ 3. FEATURES: Extract from titles │
│ 4. REVIEWS: Mine pain points + strengths (NEW!) │
│ 5. OPPORTUNITIES: Prioritize differentiation angles │
│ 6. USP: Generate positioning recommendations │
│ 7. ACTION: Step-by-step implementation plan │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Integration with Other Skills
📊 Full Analysis Pipeline
├── review-checker → Get pain points + barrier
├── differentiation-advisor → Strategy recommendations ← YOU ARE HERE
├── competitor-analyzer → Deep competitor analysis
└── listing-keyword-optimizer → Implement in listing
Example Analysis
Keyword: "bluetooth earbuds"
| Finding | Insight |
|---|
| Top Pain Point | Quality (28%) - "cheap", "defective" |
| Top Strength | Comfort (17%) - must match |
| Feature Gap | Noise Cancel (12% adoption) |
| Strategy | |
Action Plan:
- ✅ MUST HAVE: Wireless, Battery (table stakes)
- 🎯 DIFFERENTIATE: Premium build quality, rigorous QC
- 📝 LISTING: Lead with in title
- 💰 PRICE: Position as premium (+20%)
Limitations
- US market supported via dedicated
/api/v1/tools/research/amazon/usReviewsList endpoint
- Feature extraction is keyword-based
- Review sample limited to top 5 competitors
- Trends may change quickly
Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|
NEXSCOPE_PROXY_BASE | Yes | NexScope proxy base URL |
NEXSCOPE_API_KEY | Yes | NexScope proxy API key |
References
references/display-rules.md — Output formatting
