
This article is called How Market Intelligence Increased Revenues by £8 Million a Year. It’s a case study of market intelligence and corporate investigations. We show how our two offerings combined to provide our client with an additional £5m (at least) in annual revenues. Practically overnight.
You know how…
You know how you provide the best possible product, and it’s priced just right. But you are still being undercut. You will happily compete with a competitor, but you feel something is not right?
This situation was happening to one of our clients, a UK building materials producer. A UK-based competitor significantly undercut them, and they wanted to know how and why. Their competitor was selling their imported materials to major UK builders merchants. On top of this, they claimed the same ethical trading standards as our client.
The competitor’s website was almost a copy of their own. On it, they claimed to have owned and managed every part of the supply chain, from source to boat. Also, they stated that they gave housing to their workers. UK buyers had been out to India to inspect their sites.
What we did
We first undertook comprehensive desk research. Then, we travelled to India to conduct an on-the-ground situation analysis of the market. Octopus developed an understanding of the situation and the target’s actual supply chain. We created a scenario and interviewed relevant people on the ground. We confirmed that our client was being undercut by false claims of ownership of factories and supply chains.
There was no evidence of accommodation for the labourers. But there was evidence of modern-day slavery, feeble health and safety, shady factory owners, and deception—proof that the UK company was just a customer of these factories and owned nothing in the area. We even found the target’s signs behind the back of a building. The same signs were up on the wall when UK builders’ merchants came round for their past inspections. Every statement within their website and sales message was a complete lie.
This is what they got.
The competitor was reported to many authorities. The UK Advertising Standards Agency threatened court action.
- Our client increased their revenues by over £5 million
- Our client increased its ethical trading reputation
- The major UK builders merchants avoided embarrassing newspaper headlines
- The competitor lost significant business and credibility and had to change its business name
- Our client competed with other suppliers on a level playing field
- And most importantly, we highlighted evidence of slavery
How Market Intelligence increased revenues by £5 million a year
This article, called How Market Intelligence Increased Revenues by £8 Million a Year, ” is a Market Intelligence and Corporate Investigations case study—showing how our two offerings combined to provide our client with an additional £5m in annual revenues. Practically overnight.
We are Octopus. The Global People-Powered Competitive Intelligence Agency.
Outsmart your competition. Make the unknown known. Octopus helps you gain clarity in complex markets. With clients and tentacles around the world, we deliver sharp, actionable competitive intelligence through a blend of deep primary (HUMINT) and secondary research. If you’re looking to make smarter decisions, beat the competition, and reduce uncertainty, we’re the partner you want on your side.

