Uncovering the Go-To-Market Intentions of a Global CPG Giant
Posted by | Fuld & Company
Background
A leading manufacturer of an everyday personal hygiene products had been hearing rumors that one of the giants in the wider Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) space planned to enter the product category with a bang—an investment of hundreds of millions and an aggressive plan to stay in for the long haul.
Challenge
Historically, the competitor had been an active player in the personal hygiene space, but in recent years had abandoned the category. Because the company was not known for making ‘me-too’ products, its market re-entry would likely involve considerable product innovation as well as market muscle. Facing increasing competition in its existing product lines, the potential competitor was also under intense pressure to grow through new products, especially in categories that offered superior margins. If they entered the market, they would undoubtedly seek to wrest significant market share around the world from our Europe-based client.
Approach
Lacking a fully-developed competitive intelligence capability, our client engaged us to:
- Validate the rumors of the potential competitor’s market entry
- Understand in detail the competitor’s strategic and operational intentions in the specific category, including its branding, product positioning, and launch strategies
- Highlight the implications for our client and identify specific actions they should take to defend their market
Result + Benefit
Our client, knowing that they had nine months breathing space, was able to weigh strategic options, including the pricing and positioning of its products, and to prepare to meet the threat as it unfolded in specific geographies. In addition, they were able to lock B2B customers into longer-term supply contracts before the competitor’s intentions became public knowledge, thus hindering competitor success in the most lucrative space of all.
Combining our capabilities in competitive intelligence and expertise in go-to-market analysis, we were able to:
- Establish a likely launch date of the competitor’s product nine months out
- Determine key geographical launch markets and the staging of the new product rollout
- Project investment levels as well as decode the marketing and ad mix
- Identify the competitor’s key “launch” retail partners as well as potential B2B customers
Tags: Competitive Intelligence, Consumer Products & Retail, Early Warning & Monitoring, FMCG, Market Analysis, New Entrant Strategy, Strategic Planning
