CASE BRIEF: Marketing Strategy and Industrial Development
CLIENT: European Aircraft Manufacturer
PROBLEM: After evaluating the trainer aircraft market for off-the-shelf candidates, we approached the potential client and proposed they enter the U.S. market for replacement of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy primary trainers.
ACTIONS: We obtained the client’s commitment to a phased, cooperative agreement to:
Conduct in-depth surveys with the Air Force to determine actual needs. (These needs analyses validated that the client’s aircraft could meet or exceed desired performance at half the cost of the current trainer)
Develop a marketing strategy and demonstration program
Locate a U.S. teaming partner
Assist in negotiating a teaming agreement
Support the marketing effort by the U.S./European company team
We developed an "affordable performance" business strategy which included:
Media advertising
Focused briefings throughout the USAF and USN
Demonstration flights
Regular two-way communications flow with the customer
Qualifying U.S. partners for the client.
The success of the affordable performance marketing campaign resulted in interest by several top U.S. aerospace companies.
A definitive agreement was reached with a major aircraft manufacturer as the most effective partnership choice
RESULTS: A teaming agreement with a U.S. partner was reached. A joint strategic marketing plan and development of a "missionized" aircraft was agreed to:
The U.S. partner financed certain mission-required developments to the original aircraft
The U.S. partner funded the majority of the remaining U.S. marketing effort
We were instrumental in changing the Air Force and Navy mind set about the acceptability of a turboprop aircraft
U.S./European team won a $4 billion aircraft buy (up to 800 aircraft) providing hundreds of millions of dollars to the client
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