Assess the Commercial Potential of a New “Green” Technology
A startup company was commercializing a new “green” technology, a material that offered a potential step-change in the performance of a widely used product. They approached our client as a potential partner/buyer, and our client sought Newry’s independent assessment of the product’s technical and commercial potential. Through careful analysis of buying processes and more than 75 interviews with leading-edge architects and other supply chain influencers in the U.S. and Europe, Newry identified significant barriers to mass adoption in aesthetics, technical attributes, and cost. Then we determined the performance required to overcome the barriers and, working with technical experts, determined how that most likely might be accomplished. At Newry’s recommendation, our client did not invest in the start-up, but they are continuing to monitor performance improvements with a clear understanding of aesthetic, technical, and cost thresholds.
A division of a large advanced materials company had recently developed a new material which enabled key functionality in a recently introduced advanced telecommunications device. Because of this success, they wanted to evaluate other materials-based opportunities in consumer electronics. However, our client lacked a systematic method for segmenting and analyzing the market. Newry developed a novel methodology to segment the consumer electronics market – using "engines" to identify drivers of functionality within devices – and used this creative segmentation to identify and evaluate new product opportunities. Based on our analysis, our client chose three new opportunities to pursue.
The New Business Development group of a $1 billion consumer products company asked Newry to create a detailed product/market strategy for a new hair care hardware product prior to the investment decision to take the product past concept. Newry began the project by utilizing its proven framework to understand the key attributes of the product relative to its competition, validate the value proposition with end users and key channel participants, and outline the value chain and selling relationships necessary to reach the most valuable customer base. In the second phase of the project, Newry developed a detailed understanding of the product's market potential, established key customer relationships, and built the business case to proceed with the investment.
