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What role does cultural nuance play in shaping the 10 year global strategy for a multinational hydration giant?
GEOGRAPHY
Indonesia, China, France, Spain
INDUSTRY
Bottled Water & Hydration
RESEARCHERS
- Aayush Dube
- Aditi Jain
- Louis (Keji) Zheng – China
Brief
What is the future of hydration? What role might Danone’s hydration vertical play in 10+ years?
Understand the shifting landscapes, behaviours and aspirations, and how water and hydration are shaping them across Indonesia, China, France and Spain.
Approach
Cultural Research:
We used cultural immersion and digital ethnography to find the overlaps and contrasts in cultural nuances and lifestyles in each geography
Horizon Scanning:
We studied the geographies to detect emerging macro signals and identify possible patterns for indicators of possible futures
Scenario Planning:
Using insights from the research and horizon scanning we conducted client workshops to draw up multiple scenarios of possible strategic directions for Danone hydration in 10+ years and helped identify the white spaces and built a strategic roadmap to help the organisation orient and adapt to the possibilities
Methodology
Cultural Research
Using ethnographic techniques to understand cultural nuance we studied:
Consumers – Lifestyles, Emerging Behaviours, Cultures
Culture – Quirks, Nuances, Local fashion, tastes, behaviours, work-arounds, pop culture, values, locations & occasions of consumption, etc.
Markets – Global context, Local Contexts, availability, products, packaging, technology, consumption, etc.
Horizon Scanning
We used Horizon Scanning to spot emerging signals, macro trends and behaviour that might influence the various geographies and Danone’s business
Horizon Scanning – Social, Technological, Environmental, Economic, Political (STEEP) shifts
Pattern Mapping – Spotting and comparing patterns in behaviour, consumption, Socio-Eco-Political realities, etc. across geographies, cultures and demographics
Scenarios Workshop
The workshop with the Danone team allowed us to combine cultural insights with emerging signals and organisational priorities to identify strategic directions.
Insights & Outcomes
Opportunity & Threat Mapping
We identified emerging signals, white spaces and evolving challenges likely to emerge globally & more specifically across geographies
Reframing
Backed by insights unearthed through the culture immersion and the emerging signals on the horizon, we helped the client arrive at alternate frames of considering the future of their business. We were able to flip the paradigm for the client and help them shift their “take successes from the West and apply them to the East” perspective to a “Learn from East and apply to West” perspective. This opened up entirely new opportunity spaces for the organisational focus and the organisational structure that hadn’t been considered before.
Scenario Planning
We built and examined multiple scenarios to help the client understand the strategic implications of various decisions and eventualities across geographies
Strategy Development
Based on emerging external trends and internal priorities we built a 10 year business strategy dynamic enough to adapt to the challenges and spot new opportunities