Throughout the last decade Havill has published over a dozen multi-client industry studies aimed at providing our subscribers with a comprehensive look at their industry’s size, structure and trends. Consultants at Havill have over 50 combined years management and consulting experience with Fortune 500 businesses in business-to-business industries. Our robust research methodology is based on executive interviews with actual decision makers. We avoid market projections based on less reliable "industry expert" opinions. Havill is an independent consulting firm without bias toward the research findings By sharing the cost with other subscribers, clients can purchase a study for a fraction of its quarter million dollar budget.
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Marketing Channel Strategies & Research

Marketing Channels - In most markets, products flow to end users through a variety of channels. Each channel may involve several manufacturing or distribution steps before the final product reaches the end user. Determining and gauging the buying influences at each step along the chain of distribution is fundamental to marketing strategy development. When end users have little influence over the brand decision, "push" strategies are effective. Conversely, when the end users makes the brand decision, the product must be "pulled" through the channel. Tracking the sales volume, pricing, and margin structure of each market channel is essential to effective channel development and management.

Distributors - Understanding and controlling the points of distribution for products are critical factors in determining the success or failure of a product. Our distributor studies determine what our client must do to become the primary supplier to their distributor customers. We have conducted studies in a variety of markets to measure our client's distribution coverage, price point coverage, and share of distributor sales. Purchase criteria are ranked and the performance of competing suppliers are rated to determine what our client must do to increase market share at each point of distribution.

Contractors - A wide variety of studies have been conducted to determine what contractors are looking for in the products they buy and the distributors who service them. Focus groups, personal interviews, and telephone surveys have proven to be very effective in several contractor markets. Results have guided the introduction of new products, the redesign of existing products, and the evaluation of distributor effectiveness in regional markets.

End Users - Personal and telephone interview studies are included in this group of research programs to obtain direct end user and consumer comparisons on the features and benefits of competing products and new product concepts. This research has been conducted on a variety of products that are purchased by businesses and consumers.

Market Positioning

Market Positioning Studies - New products, manufacturing cost reduction programs, annual volume discounts, increased advertising, adding distribution, improving delivery service; these are some of the options available to executives striving to improve the performance of their businesses. Frequently, these issues surface during the planning process, after a management change, or following an acquisition. Numerous studies have been conducted in a variety of industries to determine precisely the best allocation of resources. Typically, these studies involve comprehensive and exhaustive analysis of the purchase decision process throughout the marketing channel. Results not only detail new marketing programs and the benefits they will accrue, but also provide sales and marketing with specific account strategies.

Technical Buying Criteria - Substitute products often represent a market opportunity or a competitive threat to our clients. Research programs, at the purchasing agent and engineering levels, have identified strengths to exploit or weaknesses to overcome for our clients who market technical products.

Regional Analysis of Market Penetration - There are frequently large geographic differences in the use of products. Regional market research studies have been conducted to pinpoint geographic regions of opportunity and to identify key success factors for selling into specific regional markets.

Marketing in Foreign Countries - Marketing research studies have been conducted for domestic manufacturers in Canada, Europe, and South America to direct the export sales programs. In addition to characterizing local markets, distributors have been identified as candidates to represent our client's product line.

New Products

Ideation Sessions - Successful new product introductions are an extension of the firm's strengths in sales and marketing, manufacturing, or research and development. Ideation sessions have successfully identified new product concepts by generating and screening ideas from groups of professionals with diverse backgrounds in sales, marketing, manufacturing, research, and development.

Concept Testing - Marketers frequently are interested in determining how buyers will react to different marketing programs, new product concepts, and cost reduction ideas that are under consideration. Focus groups, personal interviews, and telephone surveys have been used to evaluate different concepts and measure the market acceptance of the new products and services.

New Product Opportunities - New product concepts are generated by exploratory research, "skunkwork" teams, new product committees, engineering, and purchasing. We implement a three phase approach to introducing new products into any given market. The first phase evaluates the market potential of the new product concept and the second phase determines the key success factors for market introduction. The third and final phase utilizes Havill & Company's proven selling process in conjunction with sales force automation software to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your sales organization. The scope of new product research ranges from simple market probes for screening new product ideas, to in-depth research for designing product introduction programs and identifying target marketing channel accounts.

New Product Tracking Studies - Market feedback is important during the early stages of new ventures and new product introductions in order to refine the product and marketing approach. Effective new product tracking programs have been designed to monitor the level of quality and service during both test marketing and product introduction.

New Markets

New Market Opportunities - New customer groups and new geographic territories represent opportunities for business expansion. A manufacturer's ability to penetrate new markets depends, in part, on the level of customer dissatisfaction with existing suppliers and the buyer's willingness to consider new suppliers. New market opportunity studies have been conducted in a number of product categories through the United States, Canada, and South America. The scope of these studies range from simple market probes for determine market potential to in-depth research for designing market introduction programs and identifying target marketing channel accounts.

Opening New Distribution Channels - Frequently, manufacturers face conflict when opening new distribution channels to gain broader access to the marketplace. For example, products sold to the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) market through mass merchandisers and home centers compete with products sold to contractors through distributors and dealers. We have successfully structured programs to minimize the conflict of marketing through multiple channels.

New Facilities

Service Warehouse Evaluations - Many manufacturing strategies call for focused production at a single plant location to serve a national market. Regional warehouses and master distributors improve product availability in the marketplace. Research studies have been conducted to balance distribution costs with the service needs of markets.

Plant Location Studies - The justification of a new manufacturing facility requires accurate projections of the market size and growth rate in the plant service area. Plant location studies have been conducted for new facilities in California, Florida, and New York.

Distribution Analysis

Distribution Cost Reduction - Improved customer service has become a competitive weapon for many clients. To avoid costly less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, distribution systems have been made more efficient by consolidating carriers and implementing scheduled or zone shipping programs. Our in-depth market analysis tailors the distribution system to the particular needs of the market, determines the cost savings potential of the new system, and details what must be done at each customer account to implement the new distribution system.

Distribution Pricing Policies - Volume discounts, annual rebates, minimum order quantities, terms of sale, dating programs, and protected pricing programs either complement or conflict with different distribution systems. Detailed market studies have been conducted to match our client's pricing policies with their distribution strategy.

Adding and Dropping Distributors - Market share is a direct function of distribution coverage in regional and local markets. By conducting a census survey of customers who buy from local distributors, the market performance of each distributor can be evaluated. These studies are effective for improving the effectiveness of current distributors with their local market as well as evaluating candidates to add or drop.

Pricing Studies

Marketing Channel Competitive Pricing Surveys - Pricing surveys have been conducted to evaluate new product opportunities and product line extensions. In addition, pricing studies have been conducted as part of the evaluation of building new facilities and for expanding distribution into new sales territories. Typical pricing studies include a detailed competitive analysis at each price point in the marketplace.

Pricing Strategy Development - Rebate and discount pricing programs have been developed to maintain a stable pricing structure when selling to different customers through the same distribution channel. Discount pricing schedules have also been developed to minimize conflict when selling through competing distribution channels.

Market Communication Evaluations

Benchmark Studies - Benchmark studies have been conducted prior to running new marketing campaigns. After the campaign is over, follow-up studies have been conducted to gauge the effectiveness of the marketing and sales programs. These studies have been conducted throughout the marketing channel.

Message Recall Studies - Buyers have been surveyed to measure awareness and recall of our client's advertising messages. This research has been conducted to determine the effectiveness of different market communications programs.

Lead/Inquiry Programs -   Only a small percentage of the leads and inquiries that result from trade shows and advertising programs represent immediate sales opportunities. Several programs have been developed to pre-qualify leads so that only "hot" inquiries are turned over to the sales organization.

Sales Territory Analysis

Market Penetration Reports - Tracking product sales by manufacturer on a regional, state, and trade area basis is important for effective sales and marketing management. Several programs have been developed to measure brand share and forecast market opportunity for regional and local markets.

Sales Territory Alignment - These studies focus on the geographic market opportunity for products sold through our client's sales force. Territories have been defined and sales offices established based on factors such as geographic coverage and call frequency.

Packaging Evaluations

Packaging Concept Testing

Packaging can differentiate products in the marketplace, impact shipping cost, and reduce in-transit damage. In addition, bulk packaging concepts affect warehouse handling and end user convenience. Research studies have been conducted throughout the delivery system to evaluate the market acceptance of different packaging concepts

Industry Structure Analysis

Frequently, executives need an assessment of how competitors will react to new marketing programs that are being evaluated. On other occasions, planning data is needed on the size, growth, profitability, and market share of rival suppliers. Competing manufacturers are a rich source of industry intelligence. Studies have been conducted which provide competitive intelligence for both individual firms and the industry overall.

Competition Among Regional and National Firms - Many industries are made up of both large national and small regional producers. Their approaches to manufacturing and marketing are markedly different. As a result, one group typically achieves a cost leadership position while the other differentiates their product offering on the basis of quality and service. Detailed analyses of the cost structure of several industry groups have been conducted to formulate long-term competitive strategies.

Import Evaluation - Because of the inherent manufacturing cost advantage of labor intensive products that are imported into the United States, they represent both an opportunity and a competitive threat. Research studies have been conducted to assess the competitive threat from foreign companies and to evaluate the opportunity for sourcing foreign products for sale in the United States.

Acquisition Studies - Acquisitions represent a logical approach for gaining access to new markets, achieving economies of scale, and providing brand extension opportunities for existing product lines. Evaluation of acquisition candidates requires analysis of the market, the industry, and the financial condition of the target firm. The market phase of these studies measure the size and growth of the market opportunity and the target firm's market position. The industry structure phase determines the firm's strengths and weaknesses relative to their strongest competitors. The financial phase models the firm's financial performance as a stand-alone business and as part of the client's organization.

Competitive Intelligence Research

Competitive Product Threats - During the growth and maturity phases of the product life cycle, several technologies often compete in the marketplace. Research has been conducted on competing technologies to determine their strengths and weaknesses with different buyer groups and to project the market growth rate for each. Threat from Substitute Products - Established businesses are sometimes attacked by substitute technologies. Studies have shown that new products that achieve market shares as low as 12 percent frequently replace the dominant products over time. Monitoring programs have been established to track the market penetration of substitute products for our clients.

Reverse Engineering - Formulating long-range strategy requires a clear understanding of the cost structure of rival manufacturers. This detailed analysis begins with the competitor's manufacturing cost. Reverse engineering studies have been conducted to provide a foundation for building an accurate profit and loss statement for our client's major competitors.

Implementation of Intelligence Networks - Setting up an intelligence network is fundamental to a successful competitor monitoring program. Monitoring programs have been established to develop, collect, analyze, and report competitor actions.

Strategy

Business Strategy Development - The effective development and implementation of business strategy requires commitment from the entire organization. Refined from practice and experience, our clients have adopted logical planning systems that balance long-term focus with short-term needs to achieve business objectives. Specific features include:

• Planning system design
• Business valuation
• Turnarounds
• Shutdowns
• Strategies to combat new entrants
• Implementation of work team programs
• Management training programs

Business Strategy Audits - Every business has a strategy, either explicit or implicit. Many audits have been conducted to ensure that management has the right information to manage their businesses toward the goal of profitable growth. Refined over the years, our process is both effective and efficient. Phases include:

• Corporate culture
• Environmental assessment
• Competitive assessment
• Opportunity forecast
• Internal capabilities
• Anticipated competitor reactions
• Available alternatives
• Strategic choice

Legislative Impact Studies - Legislation can have a major impact on both short and long-term industry trends. Frequently, demand slows when legislation is first enacted due to confusion in the marketplace. This phase is typically followed by an increase in market activity as businesses move to comply with the new legislation. Legislative impact studies have been conducted, particularly in regards to EPA regulations, to provide manufacturers with industry trend information for their long range planning activities.

Market Tracking Programs - Foreign competitors, new technologies, regional manufacturers, economic cycles, and market demographics all cause markets to change over time. Tracking programs have been established to provide strategic input for long range planning as well as tactical data for the regional deployment of sales and marketing resources.

Five Year Plan Development - Effective long range planning requires accurate forecasting and the ability to anticipate market changes before they occur. Our approach has been to analyze each major end-user segment so that demand shifts can be detected before they work their way back through the distribution channel. Over the years, our firm has conducted several long-term structural demand studies as well as tracking programs which have successfully identified turning points in market demand before they occur.

Planning

Computerized planning models - Computer models play an important role in making the planning process efficient and flexible. This is particularly important for consolidating plans and keeping them up to date as management revises individual programs. These computer programs have proven most useful for:

• Five year business plans
• Capital plans
• Implementation plans

Forecasting - Accurate market and sales forecasts are fundamental to running an efficient manufacturing organization and providing good customer service. State-of-the-art forecasting models have been developed on computer workstations. Programs include:

• Sales forecasting
• Market forecasting
• Econometric forecasting
• Regional market penetration analysis
• Channel surveys of buying intentions to predict turning points in market demand

Computer tracking programs - Again, computer programs have proven successful in tracking market performance, especially where internal sales data must be compared with external market data. Database programs efficiently merge data for:

• Analysis of geographic market data
• Tracking market activity
• Tracking market performance