Program to anticipate competitor's strategy moves before they make them to maximize product introductions, new strategies and increase existing market share

2. WAR
Concept
:
“The
Third
Move”
• When
planning
to
launch
a
new
innova;on
or
making
a
strategic
shi?,
the
first
move
you
make
is
o?en
not
the
most
important
one.
– In
fact,
the
second
move,
made
by
your
compe;tors,
can
be
stymied
by
planning
for
"the
Third
Move”
–
your
checkmate
strategy
that
nullifies
compe;tor
plans
to
aIack
your
innova;on.
• WAR
–
which
stands
for
“We
Are
Ready”
simulates
real
business
situa;ons
by
puJng
you
in
the
role
of
your
fiercest
compe;tors.
• Resul;ng
experiences
from
WAR
shape
the
strategic
decisions
that
allow
you
to
outsmart
your
compe;;on

3. WAR
Games
Are
Valuable
When
• You
are
considering
a
major
strategic
move
– mergers
&
acquisi;ons,
ver;cal
integra;on
strategies
or
company
reorganiza;on
o?en
require
you
to
gauge
customer
and
compe;;ve
reac;on
• Your
compe;;ve
landscape
is
shi?ing
– smaller
players
are
becoming
threats
or
you
are
experiencing
shi?s
in
your
market
share
• You
are
planning
a
new
product
introduc;on
– op;mizing
and
valida;ng
the
plan
to
ensure
“we
aren’t
missing
anything”

4. The
WAR
Approach
Over
a
quick
two
day
session
• DIVIDE
(Phase
1)
– Par;cipants
are
pre-­‐
assigned
to
teams
and
assume
the
iden;;es
of
compe;tors
and
customers.
– They
role
play
through
three
“rounds”
–
with
the
agency
illustra;ng
concepts
in
real
;me
– “Customer”
group
provides
feedback
and
“scores”
each
;me
on
effec;veness
of
their
plan
• CONQUER
(Phase
2)
– Together,
we
assess
the
threats
and
opportuni;es
to
create
strategies
to
win
within
the
market
– In
tandem,
the
agency
creates
visuals
that
make
the
strategies
and
concepts
tangible…and
emo;onal
– Clear
ac;on
steps
are
iden;fied
for
moving
forward
quickly

5. Why
WAR
Works
• Companies
o?en
don’t
take
the
;me
to
“pressure
test”
their
new
concepts
and
strategies
in
an
environment
similar
to
the
marketplace
• Most
companies
have
personnel
who
know
the
compe;;on
very
well.
Some
may
have
even
worked
for
these
compe;tors
in
the
past
• With
a
liIle
digging
and
some
“thinking
;me,”
companies
can
use
WAR
to
accurately
predict
compe;tor
reac;ons
to
innova;ons
and
make
powerful
plans
to
thwart
them

6. Why
Our
WAR
Games
Are
Different
#1:
The
Missing
Piece
• An
o?en
missed
piece
in
WAR
Gaming
is
the
most
cri;cal
one
–
gauging
customer
reac;on
to
your
moves
and
those
of
the
compe;tor
• Our
approach
brings
real
customers
–
or
their
“proxies”
into
the
mix
• The
result
is
that
companies
learn
which
compe;;ve
strategies
they
need
to
pay
aIen;on
to,
and
which
they
can
safely
ignore

7. Why
Our
WAR
Games
Are
Different
#2:
Alignment
• Our
WAR
approach
includes
par;cipa;on
in
the
session
of
cross-­‐func;onal
teams,
not
just
marketers
• This
broad
involvement
allows
you
to
more
accurately
predict
compe;tor
and
customer
responses
• But
even
more
importantly,
it
develops
the
kind
of
alignment
and
enthusiasm
for
your
ul;mate
plan
that
drives
successful
launches

8. Why
Our
WAR
Games
Are
Different
#3:
Instant
Visualiza;on
of
Strategies
• Having
an
agency
on
hand
to
immediately
design
crea;ve
communica;on
“mock
ups”
during
the
session
is
key
• These
pieces
bring
clarity
to
poten;al
compe;tor
aIacks
• They
also
bring
clarity
to
your
prospec;ve
approach
and
reduce
the
;me
needed
to
launch
your
WAR
plan

9. The
WAR
Effect

10. Contact
Us
For
More
Informa;on:
Mary
Abbazia:
203.722.0908
Carolyn
Walker:
203.776.2400
x302