Choosing which regions to enter first on a new continent

The question

A food exporter wanted a foothold on a new continent, with eight candidate regions to choose between.

Before investing, it needed to know which regions deserved it and how each market worked: who imports, who already leads the category, and how large the audience for an imported product could be.

Our approach

We ran it as one program in two stages: first where to go, then whom to approach once there.

Each region was read from three sides. A consumer survey covered habits, knowledge and interest in imported products. Interviews across the value chain explained how product moves and who decides. Retail audits looked at how products like the exporter’s were presented on the shelf.

Every region was then rated on its potential size, on consumption and knowledge, and on how open its market was to a newcomer, and grouped into tiers, so the executive team could compare like with like.

The second stage went deeper into the leading regions, sizing the opportunity for a branded import and unpacking each value chain, so the sales team would know where to start.

What the team came away with

The executive team had a tiered assessment of all eight regions, with the evidence behind each rating.

For the leading regions, the sales team had practical tools to start with: prospecting material and go-to-market guidelines, built on how each value chain works.