Market Positioning
Client: A second-tier enterprise software firm in the sales force automation space
Situation:
- The client developed a highly effective trade promotion management solution specifically for the consumer goods vertical market
- Sales were lagging and the firm was having difficulty reaching its customer acquisition and revenue growth targets
- Seibel routinely won against this firm even though its horizontal solution was clearly inferior; customers frequently decided on Seibel as the safe choice based on its size
Objective:
- Develop a new market strategy and stake out a position that would win against Seibel
- Determine revenue potential for trade promotion management in the consumer goods vertical
- Segment the market according to size of firm and other relevant factors determined through the research
Methodology:
- Three consultants with background in both consumer goods trade promotion management and software were assigned
- Interviewed the top trade promotion executive(s) in 51 consumer goods firms
- Completed market sizing, segmentation, and correlated variables based on interviews
Outcome:
- A market sizing that more than doubled the client’s original estimates
- Market data that supported strategic allocation of resources by tier
- Priorities for market positioning and messaging focused on the unique needs of each tier
- A profile of highly-qualified prospects in each tier
- A list of immediate sales opportunities
Result:
- A new go-to-market strategy that capitalized on the client’s superiority to Seibel
- Determined that 84% of the consumer goods industry lacked some or all of the solution delivered by this client
- A revision of positioning and messaging to address the unique needs of each segment
“The BusinessLaunch project opened our eyes to the size and shape of the market for our solutions. We use market estimates developed by the big research firms, however this research project was highly focused and custom designed to our specific needs. Now we have significant insights through which we can execute more effective campaigns. What impressed me was the caliber of the BusinessLaunch team. The primary consultants are all consumer goods insiders, having years of real-world operating experience at the executive level. I trust their judgment when it comes to interpreting the needs of our prospective clients.”
—Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing
