Assessing market penetration potential is a critical component of the feasibility study. As it helps evaluate the viability of entering a new market. Market penetration shows how many customers use a product or service compared to the total market size of the product. It can also be used to develop strategies for increasing the market share of a particular product or service. By analyzing market penetration potential, businesses can make informed decisions about market entry and develop effective strategies for success.
Market penetration can be used to define the size of the potential market. A key part of market penetration is measuring it. This is done by calculating a company’s market penetration rate, which compares the company’s performance to the total market. The market penetration rate is important because it helps companies see their current position, track their progress, set future goals, and compare themselves to competitors. It allows companies to set specific, measurable goals that can be tracked over time.
How to Calculate Market Penetration Rate
Market penetration can be measured as a rate that shows what proportion of the market a company has captured. To calculate it, you need to know the number of customers the company has and the total market size.
Evaluation of Market Penetration Potential in a Feasibility Study
The feasibility study can provide a clear assessment of the company’s ability to penetrate and grow successfully within the target market by evaluating market penetration. Here’s how to evaluate market penetration potential:
Calculate the current market penetration rate: Calculate the current marketing penetration rate. This establishes a baseline to track growth over time and assess the potential for further penetration.
Analyze market size and growth trends: Review the total size of the target market and whether it is expanding or saturated. A growing market indicates greater potential for new customer acquisition, while a mature or declining market may have limited opportunities for penetration.
Identify market gaps and opportunities: Look for unmet customer needs or underserved market segments that the company could target with new or improved products. Identifying these gaps provides insights into areas where the company can differentiate itself and gain market share.
Assess competition and differentiation: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of competitors to determine how the company can differentiate its offerings and gain market share. This analysis should consider factors such as product quality, pricing, customer service, and brand reputation.
Consider expansion strategies: Explore options to increase penetration, such as changing pricing, developing new products, or targeting new geographic markets within the overall market. Evaluating these strategies helps identify the most promising avenues for growth.
Market Penetration Strategies
When a company wants to implement growth strategies, it usually has four options:
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Entering new markets
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Diversifying into new products
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Penetrating existing markets
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Developing new products
By using some other techniques/strategies, companies may experience growth through market penetration. These strategies are
Change Product Pricing
Raising prices is usually not enough to gain more market share. For most products, lowering prices is necessary. To understand this, companies must know their costs and profit margins. The company also needs to understand its customers and whether lower prices will attract the right long-term audience.
Create New Product
Market penetration usually involves existing products, but a company can also introduce a new product to solve customer problems in an innovative way. Although this is riskier and doesn’t guarantee success, a company can invest in research and development to study current products, identify their weaknesses, and create a new product that better meets customer expectations.
Target New Geographies
With the increase in online sales, many businesses can reach broader markets than they realize. However, service companies limited to one area might use market penetration strategies by expanding to a new location.
Seek Partnerships
Companies can expand by partnering with others instead of finding new locations to operate the business. For example, Barnes & Noble and Starbucks teamed up to put cafes in bookstores, allowing Starbucks to reach a new market they couldn’t access on their own.
Innovate Existing Product
Sometimes, companies don’t need to create new products; instead, they can update existing ones. This is common with smartwatches, cellphones, gaming consoles, and other tech devices. With each new version, a company can add improvements and new features.
Acquire Other Companies
Partnerships involve two separate companies working together temporarily to share success. Acquisitions, on the other hand, involve one company legally joining with another. When a company acquires another, it instantly gains access to new products, markets, skilled workers, intangible assets like goodwill, and research and development.
Create Promotional Opportunities
Instead of permanently lowering prices, companies can enter markets by offering temporary promotions. This strategy attracts customers with lower prices. However, while it may bring short-term success, it can attract the wrong audience, especially if the company aims to be known for higher quality and higher prices.
Invest in Sales Representatives
Companies may have all the necessary elements to bring a product successfully. However, without the right staff, their product could be falter. Even if a product is well-manufactured, a company needs capable people to market it, convey its value, and make sales. This might mean hiring more sales representatives or investing in stronger talent.
Through a comprehensive analysis of these factors, our feasibility study services accurately evaluate the company’s potential to enter and expand in the target market. This critical information helps make informed decisions regarding market entry and devising effective strategies to capture market share.
