A FTSE 100 global consumer goods company had been competing with an established century-old competitor and was familiar with its market approach and strategies. However, when the competitor was acquired by private equity, we were consulted to analyze the new company’s position and predict how their market strategy and approach might change and affect our client.
We began our threat assessment via press reports and proprietary databases. We also concentrated heavily on financials, revealing sources of funding and access to capital. Our field investigations led to the town of the competitor’s head office, where we interviewed people associated with the company, along with customers and subject-matter experts from our client’s organization. Additionally, we toured facilities and marketplaces where both companies’ goods are sold. We then vetted our interviews by cross-checking and verifying the information to present key findings and recommendations to the client.
Extreme cost-cutting measures and aggressive operational management by the competitor were brought to light. These findings allowed us to project future behavior, which helped inform our client’s strategy in the coming year. Our client could now capitalize on specific growth markets 6 to 9 months ahead of its competitor, allowing our client to successfully maintain market share over the next 12 months. In addition to executing this plan ahead of its competition, our client now had strong balance sheets that made this acquisition a vehicle for further acquisitions.
We helped a global market leader in building supplies determine how a competitor was gaining market share and experiencing rapid growth.
Our client’s growth strategy weighed heavily on acquiring competitors geographically, expanding city-by-city, and we helped to evaluate a key acquisition.
Our client, an industry innovator, asked us to investigate a competitor that began using a similar delivery system and product packaging to their own.
An acquired dairy company suffered an EBITDA decline of $30 million. We analyzed the client’s due diligence process and built a complete picture of the company.
A private equity firm invested in a company in Central Asia and was preparing it for sale. We provided guidance to improve the company’s competitive profitability prior to sale.
Our client felt its understanding was limited in growth markets and needed a strategy, and we knew they could only do this with insights into its competition.
When a transportation company was experiencing strong competition, we studied the competitor and determined how it was achieving its competitive advantage.
Even when Africa’s GNP was growing, our client was experiencing stagnant sales in its largest African market. We investigated market dynamics to uncover potential causes.