Strategic Growth Analysis We are the leader in the category, where are the growth opportunities? A few brands entered the market a few years ago and have been growing quickly, how can we strengthen our leadership position? We are losing shares to our competitors, what s wrong? Are our products not fulfilling consumers needs? How do consumers perceive our products/brand vs. competitors? How can we recapture market shares?
Strategic Growth Analysis identifies and prioritizes growth areas by looking at three areas through CONSUMERS EYES: Consumers perception of CLIENT S OFFERINGS VALUES/NEEDS CONSUMERS SEEK 1. What do consumers VALUE/NEED? 2. How well are YOUR OFFERINGS addressing consumers needs? 3. How well are your COMPETITORS OFFERINGS addressing consumers needs? It is not uncommon for consumers to perceive products differently from a brand s intention. By answering the three questions above, we are able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your and your competitors offerings from consumers perspective; and identify whether there are any unaddressed needs. Client s non-value Common low-value Client POD Common POP Competitor s non-value Competitor POD White Space (neither client nor competitor address these needs) Thanks to Professor Joe Urbany and Professor Jim Davis CenSoC Strategic Growth Analysis is developed through closely working with Professor Joe Urbany and Professor Jim Davis on 3- Circle Growth which is published in Harvard Business Review. It was a qualitative framework and CenSoC enhanced it by quantifying the growth areas, hence, enabled prioritization of the areas and made the insights immediately actionable. POD Point of Difference POP Point of Parity Consumers perception of COMPETITOR S OFFERINGS
Strategic Growth Analysis Stage 1: QUALITATIVE PHASE Objective: To understand and explore: What are the consumers needs? Usage occasions of the product What are functionalities and characteristics consumers want from their ideal product? What are the top preferred brands? What are consumers price expectations? Preferred brand Consumers needs Usage occasion Desirable product functionalities and characteristics Price expectations Stage 2: QUANTITATIVE PHASE Objective: To identify and quantify growth opportunities by Identifying Value Propositions that describe distinctive consumers needs Understanding the product attributes and characteristics that are important to each needs-based value proposition Measuring how well the client brand are delivering the product attributes to each value proposition and compare its performance against competitors Needs-based value propositions Importance of product attributes by each value proposition Consumers perception of brands performance on product attributes by each value proposition Prioritize growth opportunities by accounting all of the following: Size of each VP Price expectation of each VP Client brand strengths and weaknesses vs. competitors in each VP 3
Strategic Growth Analysis an example of Key Takeaways BIG PICTURE In this example project, 9 Value Propositions with distinctive needs were identified. VP F provided the best growth opportunity had the highest willingness to pay and their needs matched with the client s image. Strengthens and weaknesses of client brand and competitors were analysed and shown in the next slide Note: data shown below has been changed to protect client s confidentiality. Opportunity: HIGH Niche group with the highest willingness to pay. Their strong need for high quality matches with client brand s image. Client brand has a chance to take a leadership position as consumers think client brand and Competitor A are equally good in delivering excellent quality. Brand Challenge: HIGH Client brand and Competitor A are equally preferred (29%) likely because they think Competitor A outperforms on excellent style and design and wireless as 21% use them out and about. Competitor A offers Product X specifically for this VP. Directions: 1. Develop a premium and stylish product that provides superior experience out and about. 2. Rethink how products should be named such that the KEY BENEFITS ARE CLEAR. Currently, client s products are named by form factor. Whereas Competitor A named their products by WHAT the products DO for consumers. This differs by product category, country and etc. It can range from low to extreme competition depending on the data. 4
Strategic Growth Analysis an example of Key Takeaways DEEP DIVE The Value Proposition that offered great growth opportunities Note: data shown below has been changed to protect client s confidentiality. Value Proposition F was a niche group (made up of potential customers) but offered great growth opportunities With the highest willingness to pay despite their average income They had stronger needs for high quality and stylish Client s strengths: outperformed Brand A on quality and lightweight. Lightweight was important to them as 21% used the product out and about. Client s weaknesses: Brand A did better on stylish and wireless Needs Total Average Value Preposition F Be stylish 5.4 16.2 High quality 4.7 16.1 Need 3 13.9 10.1 Need 4 10.9 8.9 Need 5 7.1 5.8 Willingness to pay AUD$114 (higher than the sample average $104) Household income AUD$63k (similar to the sample average $62k) Brand Challenge - Client and brand A is equally preferred (29%) - Brand A outperforms client on stylish and wireless - Preference for Brand B closely followed client (25%) Usage occasion Value Proposition F Distinctive Needs Value Proposition F Background 21% out and about Product Attributes Importance (Mean of Ranking) MOST IMPORTANCE MEDIUM IMPORTANCE LOW IMPORTANCE Quality 4.1 Comfort 3.4 Stylish 3.1 Wireless 2.4 Lightweight 2.3 Attribute F 1.9 Attribute G 1.5 Attribute H 1.0 Attribute I 0.5 Attribute J 0.3 Attribute K 0.2 % Client - Competitor A 11% 12% -15% -10% 19% 11% 31% 14% 12% 2-25% Client outperforms Brand A 15% 21% 20% Brand Performance 33% 33% Brand A outperfor ms Client 35% 40% 18% 14% 18% 49% 16% 22% 14% 36% 9% 40% Client & Brand A are tied 10% 23% 1 15% 6% 4% 18% 6% Neither Client nor Brand A deliver on the attribute 0% 10% 20% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 45% 35% 44% 43% 26% 36% 36% 5
HOW DO WE DO IT? Stage 1: QUALITATIVE PHASE An example of Results of Stage 1 Qual Study While most research agencies simply report the frequency of coded verbatim in a qual study, we do it differently and better by: Applying a holistic approach Asking respondents to categorize their answers to identify the most relevant ones (in the same survey) A Holistic Approach We phrase the open-end questions from three perspectives to get a holistic view of consumers needs, for instances: 1. What are you trying to achieve using the product? 2. How would you describe your ideal product? 3. What benefits would drive you to choose one product over another? Percentage indicating SOME/NO current products can fulfil this need 70% 60% 50% Categorization of Consumers Needs Popular & MOSTLY Unfulfilled Needs Partly Fulfilled Needs Potential Niche Unfulfilled Needs Category Defining Needs High Quality is the MOST popular need AND it is NOT being fulfilled Y-AXIS: 6 said SOME/NO product can fulfil this need X-AXIS: 2% said ALL products can fulfil this need Total: 69% mentioned High Quality as a need Will be INCLUDED in Stage 2 Quant Study Will be EXCLUDED in Stage 2 Quant Study as they are basic needs Method to Identify Differentiating Needs We ask respondents to put their previous answers into three baskets: 1. A need that they think ALL current products can fulfil 2. A need that only SOME current products can fulfil 3. A need that NO current products can fulfil Method to Identify Differentiating Product Attributes An approach similar to identifying differentiating needs is used 40% 20% 10% Total % mentioned the need Results of Stage 1 Identify and categorize consumers needs Identify and categorize of product attributes Analyse usage occasions, brand preferences and price expectations to aim survey design in Stage 2 Example output 0% 0% 10% 20% 40% 50% 60% 70% Percentage indicating ALL current products can fulfil this need Enjoy alone is a Category Defining Need (a basic need) Y-AXIS: 0% said SOME/NO product can fulfil this need X-AXIS: 10% said ALL products can fulfil this need Total: 10% mentioned Enjoy alone as a need 6
HOW DO WE DO IT? Stage 2: QUANTITATIVE PHASE Step 1: Use Archetypal Analysis to identify Value Propositions, each will have distinctive needs and with the information on: Price expectations Household/individual income Brand preferences Usage occasions Other relevant attitudinal/demo information Step 2: Understand what product attributes are important to them and how they fulfil their needs AUD$ Price Expectation & HH Income by Value Propositions AUD$ ('000) 120 70 114 114 108 108 108 65 110 63 65 61 105 107 64 64 63 63 100 60 60 93 Price 55 90 Income 55 82 Step 3: Understand the perceived performance of client brand and its competitors on the attributes 80 VP I VP H VP E VP D VP A VP C VP B VP F VP G 50 PUT ALL 3 PIECES TOGETHER, we get a holistic view of the strengths and weakness of client brand. If the client were to target this Value Proposition, what product features or marketing messages should they focus on. 7