war: we are ready
TRANSCRIPT
WAR Concept : “The Third Move” • When planning to launch a new innova;on or making a strategic shi?, the first move you make is o?en not the most important one. – In fact, the second move, made by your compe;tors, can be stymied by planning for "the Third Move” – your checkmate strategy that nullifies compe;tor plans to aIack your innova;on.
• WAR – which stands for “We Are Ready” simulates real business situa;ons by puJng you in the role of your fiercest compe;tors.
• Resul;ng experiences from WAR shape the strategic decisions that allow you to outsmart your compe;;on
WAR Games Are Valuable When
• You are considering a major strategic move – mergers & acquisi;ons, ver;cal integra;on strategies or company reorganiza;on o?en require you to gauge customer and compe;;ve reac;on
• Your compe;;ve landscape is shi?ing – smaller players are becoming threats or you are experiencing shi?s in your market share
• You are planning a new product introduc;on – op;mizing and valida;ng the plan to ensure “we aren’t missing anything”
The WAR Approach Over a quick two day session • DIVIDE (Phase 1)
– Par;cipants are pre-‐assigned to teams and assume the iden;;es of compe;tors and customers.
– They role play through three “rounds” – with the agency illustra;ng concepts in real ;me
– “Customer” group provides feedback and “scores” each ;me on effec;veness of their plan
• CONQUER (Phase 2) – Together, we assess the threats and opportuni;es to create strategies to win within the market
– In tandem, the agency creates visuals that make the strategies and concepts tangible…and emo;onal
– Clear ac;on steps are iden;fied for moving forward quickly
Why WAR Works
• Companies o?en don’t take the ;me to “pressure test” their new concepts and strategies in an environment similar to the marketplace
• Most companies have personnel who know the compe;;on very well. Some may have even worked for these compe;tors in the past
• With a liIle digging and some “thinking ;me,” companies can use WAR to accurately predict compe;tor reac;ons to innova;ons and make powerful plans to thwart them
Why Our WAR Games Are Different #1: The Missing Piece • An o?en missed piece in WAR Gaming is the most cri;cal one – gauging customer reac;on to your moves and those of the compe;tor
• Our approach brings real customers – or their “proxies” into the mix
• The result is that companies learn which compe;;ve strategies they need to pay aIen;on to, and which they can safely ignore
Why Our WAR Games Are Different #2: Alignment • Our WAR approach includes par;cipa;on in the session of cross-‐func;onal teams, not just marketers
• This broad involvement allows you to more accurately predict compe;tor and customer responses
• But even more importantly, it develops the kind of alignment and enthusiasm for your ul;mate plan that drives successful launches
Why Our WAR Games Are Different #3: Instant Visualiza;on of Strategies • Having an agency on hand to immediately design crea;ve communica;on “mock ups” during the session is key
• These pieces bring clarity to poten;al compe;tor aIacks
• They also bring clarity to your prospec;ve approach and reduce the ;me needed to launch your WAR plan