Continued intelligence on your industry is crucial to maintaining your start-up’s competitive edge. Using market intelligence as your strategic weapon means knowing which key information sources to tap into and, more crucially, how to evaluate and use the market intelligence that you find to your company’s best advantage. This presentation will explore not only the types of information sources you should be aware of, but also tips for using the information in order to keep your company one step ahead of your competitors. Part of the MaRS Best Practices Series - with speaker Usha Srinivasan, Director of Market Intelligence at MaRS. More, including session video: http://www.marsdd.com/events/details.html?uuid=df2648aa-c50c-4c4b-9a61-66101151c9bd

3. Price point
Brand
differences -
recognition -
Compare prices
Which brand &
between
model?
products
Product
Customer voice
differentiators -
- Ask your
Warranty & Free
friends & family
refills, Services
Product design Value chain
- differences -
What is Visit a couple of
appealing and is different stores
there variety? or online

4. Entrepreneur who
Trying to be “Jack of
is from academia
All Trades”
vs. private sector
Looking for financiers
Emotional before thinking
attachment affects through their business
“time to market” model
Not open to Too open to
anyone’s advice everyone’s advice

11. Competitors –
Customers – local & global
local & global EcoWater, Cuno
Their needs are Brita, GE/Zenon
different & water Alticor (Amway)
quality is different Culligan, Woojin
Coway
Distribution Highly
channel is competitive
extremely pricing &
complex – business models
Online, through
distributors, water
- Rental & direct
depots sales or MLM

12. Where
am I going to
sell
(geography)? How
What
am I going to sell
is the size of my
(business and
market?
pricing models)?
Who
Which
am I competing Successful
Launch industry am I
with (technology/
selling into?
company)?

13. Questions to ask:
-Is my technology really disruptive?
-Who is my direct competitor at my price point?
-Does my competitor have a diversified
portfolio?
How to find the answers:
1. Consider patent or prior art searches – Public
databases like USPTO or WIPO, or paid
databases like Delphion or Total Patents
2. Understand your position in the “value chain”
3. Conduct a SWOT analysis To determine your
competitive edge
4. Compare product/technology capability/claims:
use product brochures from trade shows or
product claims from websites

14. Favourable Unfavourable
Strengths Weaknesses
I Capabilities? Gaps in capabilities?
n Competitive advantage? Lack of competitive
t USP’s? Price, value, strengths?
e quality? Experience,
knowledge, data? Financials? Cashflow,
r start-up cash drain?
n Resources, assets and
people? Location and Accreditations?
a
geographical? Processes and systems
l
etc.?
Opportunities
E
Threats
Competitors
x vulnerabilities? Industry Legislative effects?
t or lifestyle trends? Global Environmental effects?
e influences? Competitor intentions?
Vital contracts and
r Niche target markets? partners? Loss of key
n Partnerships, agencies, staff? Sustainable
a distribution? Tactics – financial backing?
l major contacts?

15. -What is my potential market vs addressable market?
(i.e. What is realistic vs. what you wish it to be)
-What is my market share among competitors?
-What is my market share in Canada/Ontario?
1. Consult market reports from multiple vendors
2. Be clear about the “definition” used
3. Sizing the market in publicly traded vs. privately held
companies:
a. Bottom up method – aggregate revenues of all
players –Tier 1, 2 or 3 – You are likely in Tier 3
b. Look at annual reports, tax filings, press releases,
etc. for private held companies
4. Market sizing at regional levels is more logical – NA,
EU, Asia, Middle East
5. Ultimately make realistic assumptions!!

16. -Should I be selling my products outside of
North America?
-What are the cultural & gender preferences or
differences in that market?
-What are the regulations?
-What partnerships do I need?
1. Consult reports on customer preference and behavioral
changes – Frost & Sullivan, Datamonitor, Forrester,
Industry Associations
3. Use social media to your advantage –
E.g.. P&G’s teenage feedback on feminine hygiene
products through social media sites
3. Consider focus groups or expert advisory panel
discussions before developing a product – e.g. Refined
data solutions
4. Tap into Canadian Trade Commissioners office (DFAIT) in
other countries

17. -Who has the most innovative business model
out there? i.e. Can I apply those best
practices?
-What is my pricing structure?
-What is my revenue model?
-Should I white label or license?
1. Use focus groups to determine price points
2. Give consideration to geographic location before
pricing your product
3. Consider “white labeling” to tap into a
manufacturers with name recognition in your
market
4. Consider licensing if multiple manufacturers and
geographies are involved

18. Should I be selling this to the DOD instead of healthcare?
Are barriers to entry low in certain verticals? Less
regulations, price agnostic ?
Could that be my first entry point before I tackle another
vertical?
Should I target government or the private sector?
1. Understand the vertical markets of your competitors
and target least competitive verticals
2. Are there any investments happening in a particular
sector, government agency or country that could be
an advantage?
a. After 9/11 and recent incidences in NY – increase in
security technologies
b. Cleantech - Ontario’s Green Energy Act and FIT
program in bringing in investor into the province;
China investing $5 B in cleantech in next 3 years

19. Is there really a market need here?
Whether the answer is a
“Go” or “No go” understanding your
market / customer / industry dynamics
will be key.

20. Tips to be on top of things :
1. Attend industry events/trade shows
2. Subscribe to relevant industry journals/
newsletters
3. Track industry analysts – through
research publications, blogs etc.
3. Explore “Vendor Briefings”
a. They are usually free of cost
b. Your company may be profiled in their
research
c. Be top of mind with analysts by sending
them pertinent news

21. Provide
M Advisory/
R Mentoring
services
P
Ontario
Market/
Entrepreneurs Competitive
S Intelligence
ICT e
Life Sciences r
Cleantech v Educational
Physical Sciences & i content
Social Purpose
c
e
s Seed Money

22.  Who is eligible? Start ups that are < $1 Million in revenues &/or
< $2 Million in investments (total raised)
 What are some exceptions?
 There may be Biotech company with >$ 2 M in investments but have no
revenues
 A professor or student entrepreneur who has not set up a company but
has an innovative technology or product to commercialize (may or may
not be patented)
 Who is absolutely not eligible?
 Anyone with >$ 2 M in revenues or > $ 3 Million in investment (total
raised)
 Any VC’s or investors
 Advisors or EIR’s personal interest projects

23.  In the past one year MI team received 981 requests from 796 companies/
entrepreneurs and provided a total of approximately 4,584 research reports to
the entrepreneurs.
 Industry breakup of the requests received
is as shown in the chart.
Life Science and ICT requests are at 33 %
and 48.5.0 % respectively followed by
Cleantech & Physical sciences at 16 %, SIG
clients at 2.4%.

24. Ontario Commercialization Network Uptake Analysis

25. 1. Access to reports from 20
databases
2. Access to industry analysts
through inquiry time
Industry specific vendors Multiple Industry
coverage vendors
IDC
Forrester Frost & Sullivan
Gartner BCC Research
Lux Research Total Patents
Cleantech Group Datamonitor
Thomson Pharma Aggregator of other Venture Source
MedTrack vendor resources Innography
Business Insights
Recap Dialog Pro
Market Research
Factiva
Key:
Red – ICT
Green – Cleantech &
Nanotech
Blue – Life Sciences

26. Life Sciences
George Botos – BEng, MSc, PMP, MBA (candidate) – pharma, healthcare
June Avila – BSc, MISt
Information Communication Technology (ICT)
Tim Tang – MBET, BASc - digital media, software, mobile apps, wireless
Helen Kula – HBA, MISt
Cleantech and Physical Sciences
Usha Srinivasan PhD – water, waste and remediation
Jesika Briones- Industrial engineering, McMaster XCEE MSc graduate
MaRS Innovation and Tech Transfer offices
Sherry Mao – BEng, MISt

27. Usha Srinivasan PhD
Director of Market Intelligence
Market Readiness Program
MaRS Discovery District
T 416-673-8144
E usrinivasan@marsdd.com
W www.marsdd.com
pg 27