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Competitors vs. Market

competition market
Recent activity on Oct 10, 2018
3 Answers
2.2 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Oct 10, 2018

Hi!

Usually when I do a case, I include competitors under market in my structure. However, I can see several places that people have structures that include both competitors and the market at the same level in their structure. Does this makes sense? Or is my approach a better one? Thanks.

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Benjamin
Expert
replied on Oct 10, 2018
ex-Manager - Natural and challenging teacher - Taylor case solving, no framework

Hi,

Both can work, but I personnally would recommand to cluster them into one topic adressed : Market attractivness : with the following sub bullets

  • market & segment size
  • market & segment trend
  • market profitability
  • competition landscape and intensity
  • ...

Hope this helps

Best
Benjamin

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Vlad
Expert
replied on Oct 10, 2018
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

I have them as the separate buckets because I want my structure to be balanced. Each of these buckets has at least 5 bullet points to explore. I simply can't put all of them under one bucket.

Market:

  • Size
  • Growth rate
  • Segmentation and growth rates of the segments
  • Regulation and barriers
  • Trends
  • Etc

Competitors

  • Size (market shares)
  • Growth rates
  • Unit economics (Price, cost, margin)
  • Key capabilities
  • Products
  • etc.

Best!

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Guennael
Expert
replied on Oct 10, 2018
Ex-MBB, Experienced Hire; I will teach you not only the how, but also the why of case interviews

I cluster them as well, if only to reduce the number of bukets I have in the business framework (I typically do a variation of Market/Competition, Product, Go To Market, Price, Customers, Company) -> Consultants get confused when you count above 3, so 6 is definitely too many.

Besides - having one section as "Market" and another one as "Competition" will often have you ask very similar questions in both branches, with the back-and-forth risk that comes with that. Not worth the risk in my mind.

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