Lesson 1: The Partnership plan must be inextricably linked to the corporate strategy
Tip: If you can’t articulate that link or you can’t articulate your strategy—Venadar can help!
Years ago, we worked on a project to launch a shaped aluminum can for a large beverage company. We partnered with the premier aluminum manufacturers and produced a design that delivered on the brand values that had been dictated by the project leaders. The problem was that to shape aluminum you had to add more metal: more cost and bad for the environment. These were two issues that were in direct conflict with the beverage company’s strategies to reduce product costs and improve sustainability.
We have seen this happen again and again.
We have clients who scouted out cool new products and technologies and looked for new markets for entry. However, if these innovations did not have a home within one of the operating divisions they ultimately failed. That is why we begin all projects with an exploration of the corporate strategy and how the project delivers on the strategy.
Often, we are shown a broad corporate strategy that has been developed by one of the big consulting companies. While that is a great foundation, it can be filled with generalizations and short on actionable details. We convert those grand notions into focused areas of growth by looking at the relevant landscape and identifying areas of traction. That may sound vague—but because we look at real companies delivering real solutions for their customers, we can convert ideas into real sources of revenue through partnering.