While the majority of product launches in Emerging Markets are adaptations that worked well in more mature markets, such an approach less often guarantees success. Companies need to thoroughly gauge a market’s receptivity before the launch—or risk losing money and their reputation.

This involves not only surveying potential customers, but also analyzing the competition (both legitimate and otherwise). Another key concern is the business environment in which your product launch, acquisition, expansion must compete, bearing in mind the economic cycle, regulations and political support for the rule of law.

Companies struggle to find the best local partner in Emerging Markets because they did not take the time to consider a wide pool of options or failed to conduct adequate due diligence on their choice of partner.

Being actively active in Emerging Markets for the last 10 years, Embellie Advisory (EA) has developed a partner research approach specifically customized to Emerging Markets. We’ve applied it with great success in finding local partners of all types, whether it’s distributors and agents, joint venture partners, acquisition targets or suppliers. With EA’s modular approach, clients can in-source or outsource any of the phases without compromising the end result.

Most companies blunder in Emerging Markets because they import a business model that worked elsewhere. But each country, and sometimes each city, is unique, an unpredictable regulatory environment, a competitive landscape full of unscrupulous players, and a consumer who faces a unique set of financing, logistical and other challenges.

The smartest money spent on pre-launch research is studying competitors, especially local companies who may operate under a very different model than global firms. EA develops detailed case studies of the competition based upon discreet interviews with former employees who can speak freely of the unique operations they left behind at their former employers.