At a glance
- Client: private equity-backed technology business, strong in one segment, decade-old core product.
- Brief: find the growth segments, and give the whole business one proposition it could sell into them.
- Engagement: market research and segment ranking, leadership decision session, messaging system build, rollout.
- Services: Positioning & Messaging, Market Intelligence.
The situation
The business had built a strong position in one segment on a product that was a decade old. The investment case needed growth from adjacent markets. The sales team was selling the old story to new buyers, marketing was producing three different pitches, and the board could not agree which segments to pursue.
The commercial leadership asked for two things: a clear read of where the growth was, and a proposition the whole business could sell.
The challenge
- Legacy technology and a legacy narrative had become the same thing in the market's mind.
- Each adjacent segment bought differently, with its own competitors, buyers and sales cycle.
- Internal views on priority segments were strongly held and lightly evidenced.
- The pivot had to happen without unsettling existing customers or the investor plan.
What we did
Mapped the market. Primary research across customers, prospects and competitors in each candidate segment. Market sizing. A ranking of segments by value, fit with existing capability, and ease of entry.
Made the choices explicit. A leadership working session on the trade-offs, ending in a decision on the two segments to pursue first and the one to leave alone.
Rebuilt the proposition. A core value proposition for the business plus distinct propositions for each target segment, tied together by one brand narrative, with proof points validated with customers.
Equipped the teams. Messaging architecture, talk tracks, objection handling and discovery questions for sales. A message hierarchy for marketing. A narrative for investors, partners and staff that explained the why.
Tested before launch. Propositions tested with target buyers and partners, refined, and rolled out with a communication plan for existing customers.
What changed
- One story across product, marketing, sales and the board, with each segment's proposition clearly derived from it.
- Sales conversations in the new segments opened on the buyer's problem rather than on the product's history.
- The investor plan rested on a market view with the evidence attached.
- The business moved into its growth segments within months rather than a planning cycle.
"They really know their stuff, able to boil the entire market into a succinct, deliverable, action plan."
Chief Revenue Officer, PE-backed technology firm
"Their industry knowledge is envious. We pivoted from a decade of legacy tech in months."
Commercial lead, PE-backed technology firm
Why it worked
Positioning decisions fail when they are made inside-out. We started with the market, forced the trade-offs into the open, and built the messaging as a system the teams could use on Monday. The pivot stuck because the people selling it helped build it.
