A 100-year-old industrial products company with a lead position in a number of geographical and vertical markets found itself beset by competitors that were successfully attacking it with different distribution and technology models. The company's sales were plateauing while its rivals achieved significant growth. The now shrinking industrial elephant knew it had to rethink what it sold, and how it sold its products worldwide.

1. The Shrinking
Elephant: A Century
of Successful Legacy
to Overcome
CASE STUDY

2. THE SHRINKING ELEPHANT: A CENTURY OF SUCCESSFUL LEGACY TO OVERCOME WWW.FULD.COM
The Shrinking Elephant
A 100-year-old industrial products company with a lead position in a
number of geographical and vertical markets found itself beset by
competitors that were successfully attacking it with different distribution
and technology models. The company’s sales were plateauing while its
rivals achieved significant growth. After a century of market leadership,
the US-based company knew its home turf and had extensive and
effective distribution partners.
Company Overview

3. THE SHRINKING ELEPHANT: A CENTURY OF SUCCESSFUL LEGACY TO OVERCOME WWW.FULD.COM
A Century of Legacy to Overcome
Key Business Challenges
Europe, South America and Asia were a different matter.
Global competitors in those regions often had a stronger
presence. Customers who had been loyal to the US
company were beginning to switch to new entrants, or to
multi-national rivals that could leverage other assets and
play the price game when necessary. New technology
and service solutions introduced by rivals were
beginning to command premium price points.
The now shrinking industrial elephant knew it had to
rethink what it sold, and how it sold its products
worldwide.

4. THE SHRINKING ELEPHANT: A CENTURY OF SUCCESSFUL LEGACY TO OVERCOME WWW.FULD.COM
Learning to Respond More Quickly to
Changing Market Conditions
Key Business Challenges
The client asked Fuld + Company to help it understand how
to regain its momentum and improve its response to rapidly
changing market conditions. To regain its leading position it
needed to know which strategic steps made the most sense.
Moreover, it wanted to understand how much change these
steps might require, and how much of a financial investment
the company might have to make.

5. THE SHRINKING ELEPHANT: A CENTURY OF SUCCESSFUL LEGACY TO OVERCOME WWW.FULD.COM
Stress Test the Portfolio Against Competitor
Strategies; Find Solutions to Key Business
Problems
The Fuld Approach
Fuld organized a series of war games to stress-test the existing strategy for each of
the company’s product groups against its key rivals. Through this exercise we helped:
 Surface global strategies among the rivals
 Compare the client’s current sales, marketing and operational strategies to its most
successful rivals
 Illuminate the client’s lack of a differentiated position in the marketplace
 Expose a serious service gap: the company focused its customer service investment on
machinery repair and had neglected to respond to customer demand for training and
better machine informatics

6. THE SHRINKING ELEPHANT: A CENTURY OF SUCCESSFUL LEGACY TO OVERCOME WWW.FULD.COM
New Strategies for Marketing, Acquisition,
Technology, Service and Pricing
Resulting Analysis
Then, we analyzed the output of each war game to develop a rationalized
set of recommendations which included:
 A more robust marketing and communications program to help differentiate the company
 An acquisition strategy
 Introduction of new technology
 A series of revamped service initiatives
 New pricing models to make it more competitive against rivals

7. THE SHRINKING ELEPHANT: A CENTURY OF SUCCESSFUL LEGACY TO OVERCOME WWW.FULD.COM
Think a similar solution could
work for your organization?
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8. THE SHRINKING ELEPHANT: A CENTURY OF SUCCESSFUL LEGACY TO OVERCOME WWW.FULD.COM
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About Fuld + Company
WHO WE ARE
Since 1979, Fuld + Company has pioneered competitive
intelligence, and today we work with leading companies
worldwide to deliver the competitive and market insights they
need to make better business decisions. We don’t rest on our
history and past successes. This means working hard to
deliver uncompromising analysis that generates sound advice
and earns us enduring partnerships with our clients.
WHY CHOOSE US
We are driven to expose insights to our clients about their
industry, their competition and a changing market; designed
to help avoid surprises and industry shocks. Through deep
research, penetrating analysis and strategic gaming + advisory
expertise, our team of professionals help you identify and
solve tactical and strategic challenges. We help reduce the
risks associated with business-critical decision making.
COMPETITIVE + MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Competitive + Brand Insights
War Games / Competitive Simulations
Market Analysis, Share + Sizing
Supply Chain Mapping
GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGY
Brand + Product Positioning / Launch Support
Product Portfolio Roadmap
New Market Entry / Segmentation
Value Chain Analysis
Life Cycle Management
Win / Loss Bid Support
CORPORATE STRATEGIC PLANNING
Early Warning + Scenario Planning
Sales Force Effectiveness
Merger/Acquisition + Licensing
Innovation Strategy
Business Model / Industry Convergence