Market Research

• Dip Stick estimation: Provides a realistic but quick assessment of the market. Turnaround of 2-3 weeks. Understand the market landscape, identify stakeholders and assess / validate market through expert interviews
• In-depth supply side assessment: Provides a good, alternate perspective in markets where demand is highly fragmented. Involves a comprehensive supply assessment across national, regional and state levels
• Detailed Bottoms Up method: Provides micro-level info. Aids firms to plan their manufacturing, sales & marketing and distribution strategies. It involves segmenting the market appropriately, building norms of universe & usage by segment and estimating overall markets through appropriate extrapolation.
• Market Track : Continuous monitoring on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis to capture emerging trends and market realities in a dynamic fashion

The forecasting framework triangulates the following, to effectively forecast future potential and trends for products / services:

• Published macroeconomic indicators (past and present)
• Ground level market information which have the potential to impact the future; specifically change in usage habits, impact of substitution, policy drivers, competitive business practices, investment climate, etc.
• Environmental factors affecting the product

This service offering involves assessing markets through an ‘Outside – In’ Perspective to identify market potential for a product or service in a particular sector. Extremely useful for both new entrants as well as existing players wishing to expand their marketing and business footprint.

• Limiting potential – the total market available to the client including all possible substitutions.
• Addressable potential – The proportion of Limiting Potential which the client can address based on various filters relevant to the client’s range – Substitution, Regions, Price, etc.
• Realistic potential – The proportion of the Addressable Potential which can be immediately addressed by the client after filtering out markets which cannot be addressed due to limitations in the clients range / plans / willingness of clients to adopt / substitute.

Feedback believes that ‘Understanding the Customer’ is the key to successful marketing. Usage and Attitude studies assist in identifying opportunities to reach, attract & retain new customers; improve product positioning, do customer segmentation and optimize product & service features based on a study of current usage / appeal of a product / service, latent opportunities and perception patterns of customers. This could be a dipstick / detailed assessment and qualitative / quantitative based on the outcome desired.

Develops plans to address customer needs, based on the following:

• Identify stated & latent needs and need gaps across customer segments
• Assess awareness of brands, preferred brands & reasons, loyalty & drivers
• Map purchase habits such as frequency of purchase, importance, source, etc.
• Understand attitude towards various parameters including pricing, quality, etc.
• Usage patterns
• Perception patterns

Assist clients to fine tune their ideas and introduce products / services with higher market acceptance, based on insights garnered from customer needs and wants & their reaction to the concept. This can be used for a new product / service as well as benchmark against existing solutions.

The process will involve:

• Outlining the new concept
• Understanding how their needs are currently being met
• Gather reactions of prospective customers (spontaneous appeal – uniqueness, practicality, relevance, price willing to pay), willingness to use
• Test for different price points (if required)
• Analyze cost of solution
• Determine the likely market for the new concept.

Based on these outcomes, Feedback would recommend:

• Segments with higher appeal
• Desired features
• Pricing indicators
• Promotion directions

Strongly recommended to be undertaken when assessing a new customer prospect, partner, vendor or even when gauging competition. Arms the firm with information to devise their customer/ partner/ vendor strategy.

Can involve either a dip stick understanding of macro level details or a deeper understanding involving detailed analysis of product portfolio; markets served; channels; pricing; management structure; infrastructure; people strengths; key financial indicators; ecosystem such as vendors, partners, sub-contractors; business & marketing strategies; SWOT; business outlook, etc.

Feedback has extensive background of assessing potential acquisition / JV partners and competitors in India and other countries.

Mapping of best channel practices helps fine tune dealer strategy, find new partners and implement innovative practices. Feedback has worked with Clients who are leaders in their respective industries.

Some areas:

• Assess delivery models and recommend the ideal structure
• Identify and evaluate appropriate Channel partners and empanel
• Assess Channel partners capabilities and advise
• Study and recommend channel margins
• Channel satisfaction measurement
• Reward mechanisms

Pricing studies help find the optimal pricing for your product or service in a specific geography. In this offering, we track price variations in product SKUs across geographies as well as gauge acceptable price points and derive price build up.

We have undertaken exhaustive pricing studies across 8 countries in South East Asia and Middle East Countries as well as India. Our clients have used the outcome of these engagements to correct prices, introduce new retail / customer schemes, re-evaluate dealer relationships, to name a few instances.

Feedback can help you identify, profile and shortlist various firms based on your criteria of an ideal partner. The due diligence includes understanding of their basic operations & financials, SWOT, market reputation, strategic fit and their psyche.

Typically, we would map out all potential firms, filter based on the ‘must-have’ criteria, and then conduct a detailed analysis of the shortlisted firms to assess the best partner. We have extensive background in identifying channel partners, manufacturing partners and marketing partners in the B2B space.

Choosing a location for setting up a manufacturing, trade or service oriented business is one of the most critical decisions that can impact operations as well as the viability of the business.

Feedback assists in finding the ideal location based on a deep understanding of the market place. Some key factors impacting location choice include demand clusters, competition presence, supply chain strength, state government policies (taxes and regulations), raw material availability, accessibility of utilities among other important factors and parameters.

Feedback has assisted various clients in identifying the right location for their businesses.

Feedback has worked on feasibility reports and business plans for firms looking to diversify, start-ups, investment houses and PE funds as well. The key differentiator Feedback brings to the table is the strong market information and research foundation on which the business plan is built. In addition to being useful for raising funds, it also acts as a navigator for the firm in the early stages of the business.