Competitive Intelligence showed how a major competitor was retaking market share

Competitive Intelligence showed how a major competitor was retaking market share. With this case study, we show how our services provided our client with an understanding of why they were no longer market number one.

You know-how

You know how sometimes a competitor you have fought against and beat for years on end suddenly gets the upper hand. And you have an idea why? You have a better product. You are spending millions on TV advertising and football sponsorships. But still, they are selling more.

What was happening

Our client is a world-renowned consumer electricals manufacturer. They did not understand their competitor’s organisational structure and culture. And they did not know their sales strategy, their sales team and in-store promoters structure. They were sure the loss of business was nothing to do with price. They wondered if it was an underperforming in-store sales team. Or had something had changed with their competitor? Their regional sales managers told the Vice Presidents everything was fine. Just a blip. But they were not so sure. But either way, they needed to know what was going on. What their competitor is doing and what they can do about it.

Our mission

Our mission was to identify, isolate and analyse their competitor activities. To understand why their competitor was beating them in their traditionally strong market.

This is what we did

We contacted former and current employees of the business. Then we conducted an in-depth secondary analysis. We also became customers and visited many stores around the country: Currys, John Lewis and smaller specialised operations but still significant like Richer sounds. We made notes on where the product was in the store. Located the advertising and listened to customers conversations with the sales team. And we even stood next to our client’s product and waited. And waited. Consistently, when asked what we were looking for, they recommended a competitor brand. Even a salesperson wearing our client’s t-shirt recommended their competitor.

And this is what our client got

• The competitor’s precise UK sales levels
• Provided a view on their competitor’s organisation
• Structure
• Numbers
• Hierarchy
• Reporting lines
• Field/Promoters staff
• Culture
• Isolated their Strategy
• Market
• Product
• Promotion
• Retail
• Channel
• Training
• Field
• A defined the competitor’s service proposition (Retailer support, customer support, post-purchase contact approach). KPIs (Key measures of success, value and volume)
• The competitor’s terms and margin structure offered to their retail partners
• An understanding of its retail estate strategy:
• Branded display and in-run
• and store staff advocacy (Training, Incentives, Benefits etc.)
• When compared to their competitor, their product had no noticeable benefit or features
• Isolated the competitor’s key selling points
• The key points driving Premium sales and their digital presence
• The revelation that their mystery shopping agency was not going what they were claiming to do
• A better understanding of why their competitor was taking business away from them. And the route to a counter-attack
• Isolation of many reasons why they were losing in-store sales, but the critical one Pizza. Yes, Pizza. If the store sales teams sold more of their product than their competitors, they got Pizza. Our client used to offer incentives but stopped doing it.
• A client amazed at how quickly we could turn around the project
• A dilemma. One of the senior management had just authorised a contract extension to the same “mystery shopping” company. And the rest of the report highlighted poor management. We were congratulated, and the report was promptly swept under the carpet

And we can do the same for you

Competitive Intelligence showed how a major competitor was retaking market share

In this case study, Competitive Intelligence showed how a major competitor was retaking market share with Pizza’s help.

Image by Giwrgos Louvaris giwrgoslouvaris.gr

About Octopus Intelligence

We provide greater certainty with excellent global Commercial Competitive Intelligence and Corporate Investigation services.

We live in an uncertain, competitive and ever-shifting world. So it’s reassuring that we have your back and leave no rock unturned to answer the what and the how, the now and the next. We isolate problems, deliver answers and suggest the best way forward to grow. Using our real-world experience and best in class:

• Competitive Strategy
• Competitive Intelligence
• Corporate Investigations

We offer a boutique feel with a big business capability and real global reach. We are trusted by brands, middle-market players, investors and start-up innovators.