AkzoNobel
A future-focused competitor strategy for a leading global home improvement company
The Challenge
A new competitor entered the market through an exclusive partnership with a leading retailer, and was starting to take market share. We were tasked with helping AkzoNobel explore their new competitor's strategy as a basis for adapting and course correcting their own strategy.
The Solution
- Deep investigation - we started with a thorough investigation of the competitor, making use of desk research, expert interviews, client data, store visits, product testing and shopper insight. This analysis informed the inputs to the “War Gaming workshop”: a critical 2-day session to challenge traditional myopic thinking.
- Disruptive perspectives - we blended a variety of disruptive tools and techniques into the immersive workshop to challenge everyday mind-sets. This included challenging the status quo by stepping into the shoes of the competitor to recognise that the competitor had the capability to break market conventions. Internalising the competitor allowed us to debate, prioritise and plan the next steps to ensure long-term sustainable growth for AkzoNobel.
- Deliver future-focused plans - we worked with the teams to devise clear implementation plans that focused on a long-term competitive response, so as to maintain growth in a potentially disrupted market. Our approach was to work alongside those who were responsible for delivering the plans to ensure they were completely committed to them, a clear point of difference from other strategic consultancies.
The strategic support Cognosis provided has been invaluable. They helped my leadership team see the market with real clarity, leading to the right decisions for the business. Their approach is underpinned by a unique combination of strategic rigor, real world pragmatism and a deep understanding of the human side of strategy.
Director
Dulux, UK & Ireland | AkzoNobel
The Result
After the workshop, the Board were confident that a robust and adaptable response strategy was in place. Mind-sets had changed, with a focus on future competitive scenarios and a willingness to respond quickly and effectively to changes in the market place. Furthermore, there has been a step change in investment in customer experience, including the appointment of a new Customer Experience lead, helping to now identify, prioritise and anticipate customer needs.
