Market Mappings: The Key to Entering Emerging Markets

Whether you are a business looking to expand or an investor sourcing new ventures, emerging markets provide unique opportunities for growth and diversification. However, hidden players, rules & regulations, and the general lack of data in these ecosystems can make the foray into these markets time-consuming and risky. In addition, investors & corporations oftentimes lean on anecdotal evidence and personal experience to make haphazard decisions on which frontier market to enter. In order to address the knowledge gap slowing down investment and expansion decisions in emerging markets and reduce the failure rate of those businesses and investors who do, we at Discovered Markets provide market mappings.

A market mapping is a deep examination of a specific ecosystem (sector, geography, region, etc.) illuminating a database of key players and established networks. At Discovered Markets, we utilize systems theory—the study of interrelated & intercorrelated parts in an ecosystem—to develop our mappings. So alongside the illumination of key players in a market, our market mappings highlight the complicated nexus between political stakeholders, international market shapers,  & regional key figures/competitors in an ecosystem. Through this systems-lens framework, our clients are given both valuable quantitative data and a qualitative analysis on the “soft-infrastructure” in the ecosystem. Understanding these two components are essential to any successful investment or expansion into an emerging market. 

But don’t just take our word for it. As outlined by the Harvard Business Review, composite indexes viewed as independent from broader interrelated systems are insufficient in understanding emerging markets. Rather, the key to developing a successful strategy for an emerging market entry requires a thorough understanding of a country’s market infrastructures and the interrelationships between the market’s political, social, & economic systems. 

Have some further questions about Market Mapping? We’re happy to chat. Book a time with me here on our website.