Go-to-Market Strategy in Emerging Markets

Today, as in earlier economic downturns, companies’ sales and distribution activities are being squeezed at both the top and bottom lines. And across emerging markets, these pressures are intensified by the complexities that confound go-to-market strategies there:

A scarcity of data on customers and purchases
Fragmented and multilayered distribution networks
Variations in how and how well last-mile execution is achieved by sales reps making $100 to $150 a month and operating at 20% attrition rates

To deliver in these challenging—but highly promising—regions, companies turn to BCG for a tailored go-to-market plan.

BCG’s Go-to-Market Framework

BCG enables our clients to surmount go-to-market challenges by harnessing our deep local expertise and diverse global teams to drive sustainable business impact.

We help companies reimagine their go-to-market plans and reinvigorate their performance by embracing an integrated approach across the sales and distribution landscape.

BCG brings a rich arsenal of analytical tools, proprietary databases, and playbooks to help our clients win in emerging markets:

SMART DIGITAL SOLUTIONS SUITE

Our proprietary digital applications and analytical solutions across the sales and distribution landscape can be customized and prototyped rapidly.

Go-to-market Assessment Toolkit

This toolkit comprises more than 50 use cases spanning 10 digital themes and multiple industries. We help companies understand their starting position and estimate the size of the prize.

Proprietary point-of-sale and distribution benchmarks

BCG has compiled a robust database of more than 60,000 retail outlets and 1,500 distributors across more than 10 categories. For top cities, the database provides details on retailer and distributor demographics, business performance, revenue size, and infrastructure.

Partnerships with disruptive go-to-market startups

We have forged partnerships with more than 25 go-to-market startups that deliver sales process intelligence, capability building, pricing, channel finance support, and influencer management.

E-commerce playbook

We have developed a comprehensive playbook that captures detailed knowledge and best practices in go-to-market strategy from more than 50 companies across 10 broad and 50 specific levers.

Change management

We deploy innovative techniques to drive capability building in go-to-market execution through immersion sessions, gamification, coaching bootcamps, and robust performance management.

Featured Client Work in Go-to-Market Strategy

Select examples of our go-to-market strategy consulting include:

Masstige Footwear Company. BCG executed multiple transformation initiatives across distribution expansion, retail execution, digital lead selling, e-commerce business entry, and exports business expansion. The client achieved sales growth of 18% to 20% in two years—well above the industry average of 12%.
Global Confectionery Company. We developed an end-to-end go-to-market plan, including an effective coverage model, that optimized service levels and redefined the economic model for distributors in each market. This approach unlocked 10% to 12% in growth, reduced the cost to serve by 200 basis points, and built a future-ready go-to-market strategy to drive broad portfolio growth.
Building Materials Manufacturer. BCG helped revamp the client’s influencer program, digitized the salesforce, and strengthened its distribution channels. Within one year, our go-to-market plan garnered differential growth above 2% in key accounts and above 4% in medium accounts. New product sales increased by 200%.
Electrical Consumer Goods Firm. Our end-to-end go-to-market strategy framework was defined and implemented, transforming the client’s distributor scouting, infrastructure, margin structures, sales force effectiveness, and on-the-ground implementation of digital solutions. This approach led to differential growth above 15% in primary sales across pilot markets. Reach and outlet coverage doubled, with more than 10,000 counters reached and more than 6,000 of these activated within three months.

BCG’s Latest Insights in Go-to-Market Strategy

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Edition 2: COVID-19 and the Emerging-Market Consumer

Several trends we identified have endured, while important and potentially lasting shifts in consumer thinking and behavior are also becoming apparent.