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As short-term early-stage international market development specialists, Gravitas supports the following activities: 1) market research, 2) strategy development and 3) marketing collaterals including spec/data sheets, brochures, product manuals/guides and presentations tailored to specific market or customer. These are all collaborative efforts with clients. Presentations materials for company or product introduction are usually delivered onsite together with clients. Simply translating existing marketing materials word-to-word to the language of the target customers may be acceptable for technical spec sheets. However, such approach is ineffective at best and counter-productive at worst for most business presentations and when active audience participation and feedback are desired. To convey complex concepts and strategies, each material must be tuned for specific group of audience considering their level of foreign language proficiency, their function and hierarchy of the audience, as well as the business protocols of the country and delivered in a manner that the audience can digest and appreciate. This is especially true for Asia.
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The key to success in any technical equipment/module industry is developing customer intimacy – deep understanding of customers’ products, applications, implementations, requirements and investment plans – through relationship management. Customer relationship management takes on additional dimensions when customers operate under different cultural standards. Understanding their business cultures, customs and languages is critical in in successful business negotiations and building long-term relationships. Our consultants have long track records of introducing products to new customers and opening new markets in three continents.
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Strategic alliance or partnership can be a cost-effective way to create synergy between two or more companies with minimal risk and capital investment. It can be either vertical supplier-customer partnership or horizontal peer-to-peer alliance so long as the product or market overlap between partners is minimal. We have experience forging joint research, marketing and manufacturing alliances between partners in Asia, Europe and the US.
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Technology licensing can establish a fast-track path to new product development and introduction. Properly formulated and negotiated, it can save development time and cost and enhance product competitiveness, while protecting the rights of the intellectual property holder. It is important to analyze all scenarios and contingencies carefully and negotiate licensing terms and loyalty/fee structure to avoid potential disputes and complications down the road.
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Joint Venture arrangement allows partners to shares the risks as well as the benefits. Key benefits include reduced market entry cost and faster ramp up. Joint venture also allows the access to the partner’s expertise, market knowledge, business network and even an established market share. In some markets, JV is mandated by local laws. As JV is a long-term commitment between partners, it is important to find like-minded partners to ensure a harmonious and successful partnership. We can search and evaluate potential JV partners in the desired geographical area that perfectly complement your company.
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Companies often seek new revenue streams to supplement existing ones, especially when the growth rate in their traditional businesses/markets slows or their margins are squeezed. Merger of two companies can cut overhead costs, strengthen market position and obtain new products and expertise. Acquisition can be for an entire company, a division or a subsidiary or a product lines in the targeted market space. A typical M&A processes are: target identification, executive summary presentation, NDA exchange, memorandum distribution, initial meeting, negotiations, letter-of-intent submission, due diligence and closing. We have assisted both buyers and sellers as M&A agents in deals up to $40M.
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In the era of JIT lean manufacturing and vendor-integrated supply chain management, customers are demanding greater degrees of product customization, localization and reduction of lead time. More and more, products are conceived, developed and introduced at increasing speeds. The old standard of centralized manufacturing and shipping massive low-IP products to customers half way across the globe is no longer feasible. Protecting profit margin in increasingly dynamic and efficient markets can be challenging. In such environment, cost structures need to be constantly monitored and analyzed. Advanced high-tech products pose additional challenges. Locally sourced components have to be qualified and local workforce may need additional training to properly handle complex equipment. Gravitas helps manufacturers analyze their cost structure and refine their manufacturing strategies, taking into account the availability and costs of skilled labor, materials, lead time, facilities, taxes, government incentives and customer wishes.
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The recent global financial crisis and the ensuing economic uncertainties have greatly restricted the supply of money in the general economy. The venture capital community, the traditional source of funding for early-stage start-ups has also become so risk averse in recent years that only a very few lucky companies can qualify as “investment grade”. As a consequence, many young growing technology companies are struggling to secure money to fund their next phase of growth. For young growth-stage companies that are not quite ready for IPO, few funding options remain. They may include strategic corporate investments and partner financing. We have experience helping young companies obtain funding from corporate investors and various government programs as well as traditional sources. Convertible notes issued to private investors or funds may be a viable option for some emerging tech companies. Partnership involving limited equity swap may help other young tech companies gain outlet for their products and generate new revenue stream without compromising the control of the company, while their partners gain access to strategically important markets and technologies.
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An increasing portion of our clientele has been relatively new and startup tech companies that are trying to establish themselves in the global marketplace. Many of these companies have highly competitive and innovative products. However, even the most savvy and creative companies and entrepreneurs are often constrained by limited market knowledge, expertise and resources to promote their products globally. We can assist these tech companies with:
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