A manufacturer of widely used agricultural products believed that it had an opportunity to take market share from a bigger competitor who had made some serious missteps. At first, the client wanted to see if those missteps might have led to weaknesses that could be tactically exploited. But the capabilities Fuld + Company brought to the project delivered a far more intensive competitive assessment of the rival that enabled our client to respond strategically.

1. Surprising Competitor
Intelligence Enables a
Strategic Response from
an Agribusiness Company
CASE STUDY

2. SURPRISING COMPETITOR INTELLIGENCE ENABLES A STRATEGIC RESPONSE FROM AN AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM
Why Choose Fuld?
I've worked with a lot of consultants over the years –
from McKinsey to Cap Gemini all the way down to the
small boutique firms – and I just can't compliment
Fuld enough on a quality delivery. They took the time
and energy to learn our business, learn the multiple
channels that are involved in agribusiness today, and
the differences between us and a key competitor.
− Market Insights Manager from the company
Client Testimonial

3. SURPRISING COMPETITOR INTELLIGENCE ENABLES A STRATEGIC RESPONSE FROM AN AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM
Looking Beyond Tactics
A manufacturer of widely used
agricultural products believed that
it had an opportunity to take
market share from a bigger
competitor who had made some
serious missteps. At first, the client
wanted to see if those missteps
might have led to weaknesses that
could be tactically exploited. But
the capabilities Fuld + Company
brought to the project delivered a
far more intensive competitive
assessment of the rival that
enabled our client to respond
strategically.
Case Overview

4. SURPRISING COMPETITOR INTELLIGENCE ENABLES A STRATEGIC RESPONSE FROM AN AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM
A Competitor Goes Off Course
Key Business Challenges
Our client’s rival had attempted to imitate the
market leader in the space, a company widely
known for its superior technology. But in
undertaking a technology push and rationalizing
their sales force, the rival had appeared to drift
from their core strength: maintaining strong
relationships with the distributors of their product.
Though products in this market were also sold
through retailers, the high-touch distributor
channel generated far more value for them.

5. SURPRISING COMPETITOR INTELLIGENCE ENABLES A STRATEGIC RESPONSE FROM AN AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM
The Questions Multiply
Key Business Challenges
When the rival’s
technology push ended
in disarray, our client
believed they saw a
further opening, but they
also saw far more
uncertainty about how
the rival might proceed.
Would they continue to
stumble? If so, in which
direction? What would it
mean for our business?
Until our client could
answer those questions,
they couldn’t devise the
most advantageous
response.

6. SURPRISING COMPETITOR INTELLIGENCE ENABLES A STRATEGIC RESPONSE FROM AN AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM
Surprising Answers
The Fuld Approach
In addition to conducting primary research, undertook four corners
analysis, and developed a predictive model that leveraged a proxy for the
rival’s revenues by geographical business unit. With these tools, and
others, we were able to create a more accurate and realistic reading of the
rival’s intentions than less comprehensive approaches yield.
Our client was surprised to learn
that the rival was righting the ship –
moving resources out of corporate,
pouring them into the
geographical business units,
and returning to a laser focus
on distributor relationships.

7. SURPRISING COMPETITOR INTELLIGENCE ENABLES A STRATEGIC RESPONSE FROM AN AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM
Responding to What You Know,
Not to What You Think
Key Business Impact
Our client, having originally thought they
might be able to opportunistically make
some inroads in the distributor channel
because the rival was napping, now
realized they faced a much different reality.
As a result, they were able to develop a
more appropriate and nuanced strategic
response. To keep pace in the distributor
channel, they overhauled their sales
training and reoriented their recruiting,
without sacrificing the technological
superiority they already enjoyed over their
rival. At the same time, they saw an
opportunity to team with the rival through
technology licensing agreements to take
on the market leader.

8. SURPRISING COMPETITOR INTELLIGENCE ENABLES A STRATEGIC RESPONSE FROM AN AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM
Information to Drive Transformation
The Fuld Review
The client’s initial ‘laundry list’ approach to
competitive intelligence illustrates a
misperception we often encounter – that
competitive and market intelligence is
primarily informational. But when
competitive intelligence is integrated with a
strategic focus from the outset and
accompanied by the recommendations of
experienced practitioners, as ultimately
occurred in this case, it can produce
invaluable strategic insights. Insights that
have been rigorously validated. Our client,
who quickly perceived the value of this
approach, has now asked us to undertake an
intense look at the market leader through
this larger strategic lens.

9. SURPRISING COMPETITOR INTELLIGENCE ENABLES A STRATEGIC RESPONSE FROM AN AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM
Think a similar solution could
work for your organization?
CONTACT US
fuld.com/solutions

10. SURPRISING COMPETITOR INTELLIGENCE ENABLES A STRATEGIC RESPONSE FROM AN AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM
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