The opportunity

Portico’s Managing Partner was engaged by a FTSE 100 company to refresh go-to-market strategy in three countries where the client relied on passive, ‘arms-length’ partnerships with sourcing, distribution and marketing firms.

An opportunity was identified to grow sales and access to inland markets by forging new partnerships with nationwide coverage, and bringing parts of the outsourced operating model in-house.

The solution

An in-market research team was mobilized to collect detailed customer insights and market data, including 30 Key Informant Interviews. This informed four recommendations:

1. Diversify away from reliance on a single distribution partner towards a multi-distributor model
2. Invest in subnational offices for greater customer/reseller traction
3. Address product authenticity concerns through a technology-enabled anti-counterfeit campaign
4. Avoid local manufacturing as the mass market is too fragmented to serve profitably

These actions were deliberately low cost, low risk and low complexity, making it easier for the client to secure internal consensus for implementation in markets where management bandwidth was capped.