Situation
A Japanese manufacturer of specialty exterior facades for commercial buildings wanted to expand into the North American market. The client engaged Freedonia Custom Research to obtain a better understanding of the market potential in each US state, the competitive landscape, and any factors that could facilitate a successful market entry.
Approach
- Conducted more than 30 in-depth interviews with manufacturers, distributors, and architects to understand the market size, product strengths and weaknesses, selection criteria of key specifiers, and any end-user pain points
- Developed demand estimates and forecasts at the national, regional, and state level for the United States, with additional segmentation by building type
- Provided voice-of-market statements from product specifiers regarding price, performance, ease of installation, procurement drivers, and barriers to entry for new suppliers
- Analyzed competitive positioning of key suppliers in the market, including market share, market orientation, distributor relationships, pricing, and product strengths and weaknesses
Results
The Freedonia Custom Research team was able to provide the client with actionable insight to formulate a strategy for introducing its product to the US market and competing against established suppliers.