Frontier Strategy Group - Emerging Market Insights

DuckerFrontier's CEO, Richard Leggett, and Analyst for Southeast Asia, Ashu Agarwal, discuss the research report on “Channel Design in ASEAN”, including how Southeast Asia fits within MNCs APAC portfolio, key factors to identify an ideal go-to-market strategy for the ASEAN markets, and common approaches to boost channel effectiveness.

FSG's CEO, Richard Leggett, and Practice Leader for South Asia, Pratima Singh, discuss the recently released report on “Winning in a More Competitive India”, including the current outlook for the economy, the four key factors driving increased competition, FSG’s Four P’s strategic framework, and 10 tactics that help MNCs outperform in an increasingly competitive India.

Mark McNamee - Europe Practice Leader, Athanasia Kokkinogeni - WEUR Analyst and Martin Belchev - CEE Analyst discuss if MNCs should consider populism a risk, an opportunity or business-as-usual for their firms across Europe

Rising competition and payer budget challenges have resulted in continuously increasing pricing pressures for multinational healthcare (HC) companies operating in emerging markets. While investment in R&D and further sector consolidation will be important to continue driving revenue and profit growth, multinational healthcare companies have also begun looking more at how they can drive additional differentiation (and therefore improve commercial results) by providing value-added services (VAS). In this podcast, we explore some of the types of value-added services healthcare companies can provide, what the major challenges are for monetizing these services, and what the future of integrated healthcare solutions might look like.

FSG’s CEO, Rich Leggett, and Practice Leader for SSA, Will Attwell, discuss how multinationals can improve their performance in SSA by selling to the region’s largest customers – those in the public sector. They assess opportunities to drive new sales to this relatively under-penetrated segment, unpack the challenges and complexities involved, and point to approaches executives can use to target their efforts and resources more effectively.

North-East Asia Senior Analyst, Josef Jelinek, and Director of Asia Pacific Research, Adam Jarczyk, discuss China's Belt and Road Initiative and its implications for multinational companies. This podcast extracts the key takeaways from FSG's recently published report of the same title, providing clarity on an opaque initiative that will wash over executives' markets, at a time when they are under increasing pressure to hit ever higher targets.

Earlier in April, FSG hosted a client webinar to discuss the latest on US-China trade tensions, NAFTA negotiations, and US steel and aluminum tariffs. This podcast extracts the key takeaways from the webinar, providing clarity on these rapidly moving global events and highlighting and the implications for your business

Earlier in April, FSG hosted a client webinar to discuss the latest on US-China trade tensions, NAFTA negotiations, and US steel and aluminum tariffs. This podcast extracts the key takeaways from the webinar, providing clarity on these rapidly moving global events and highlighting and the implications for your business

Western Europe Analyst, Athanasia Kokkinogeni, and Practice Leader for Europe, Mark McNamee, discuss Brexit and its implications for multinational companies. Regardless of its final outcome, the UK’s exit from the European Union will reshape the operating environment for MNCs in the UK.

Western Europe Analyst, Athanasia Kokkinogeni, and Practice Leader for Europe, Mark McNamee, discuss about the improved WEUR outlook for Q2, sharing strategic insights for executives to win in this market in transition.

Managing Director for FSG’s Global Channel Practice, Ryan Brier, and Practice Leader for South Asia, Pratima Singh, analyze the impact of India’s Goods and Services Tax on multinationals’ channel strategies and discuss how executives can effectively capture the gains from a changing distribution landscape.

FSG's CEO Rich Leggett and Practice Leader for South Asia Pratima Singh discuss the outlook for India over the next several months, the opportunities and risks facing the economy, the newly released government budget, and the implications for MNC executives operating in the country.

FSG's CEO, Richard Leggett, and Global Economics Director Antonio Martinez discuss the Events to Watch for 2018 report, including the the methodology behind the report, the events that may disrupt multinational business performance and operations, and the importance of contingency planning in emerging markets

Western European markets will record strong performance in 2018, after risks subsided during 2017. However, multinationals are unlikely to see a considerable acceleration in consumer and business demand in 2018 unless governments implement reforms. As macroeconomic conditions remain favorable, competition will increase. With careful execution and a special focus on customer segmentation and redefinition of value proposition, MNCs can capture the solid opportunities across the region in 2018. This podcast details what companies should expect in the region next year and what opportunities and risks should be on their team's agendas as part of 2018 planning.

FSG held its annual Moscow breakfast with clients in September, where clients indicated their concerns over pressure from corporate to hit rising revenue targets in 2018 after a mild uptick in demand in 2017. However, nearly all firms noted that rising costs were a concern in the market and therefore high pressure on margins causing companies to increasingly focus on getting more value out of their channel in order to improve profitability. In this podcast, FSG's Senior Analyst for Europe Mark McNamee discusses the outlook for the market in 2018 and how companies are preparing to respond to it in their Russia strategies.

FSG's CEO Richard Leggett and MENA Practice Leader Zeynep Kosereisoglu discuss how MNCs must adapt their value offering to their customers in the GCC to manage the region's economic slowdown and its increasingly complicated operating environment

Western European markets will grow by 1.7% YOY in 2017—South Europe will exceed this growth, with Spain and Portugal leading the way. South Europe suffered the most from the 2008/2009 financial and 2012/2013 debt crises, but since then has been recovering because of strong exports—primarily tourism—and consumer demand. South Europe will be an attractive opportunity for B2C and B2B MNCs because of its improving fundamentals and low-cost environment

Ukraine has faced an extremely tumultuous period over the past three years and is beginning to recover and exit its recession. As MNCs are increasingly trying to anticipate the outlook for the market in the coming years and make strategic decisions regarding investments in the country, Ukraine is starting to return to focus. Our Senior Analyst for Europe, Mark McNamee, discusses his latest view on the market and insights from the ground from his most recent trip to Ukraine.

Political uncertainty subsides for the region, and economic fundamentals slowly strengthen, creating additional opportunities for multinationals. However, an acceleration in growth beyond current levels is unlikely, as unemployment remains high and reforms are slow. In this podcast, FSG's Western Europe analyst Athanasia Kokkinogeni discusses the outlook for Western Europe and its impact for multinationals ahead of H2 2017.

China is currently undergoing a once-in-a-lifetime transition to a consumption- and services-based growth model. To facilitate this transition, the government has embarked on an ambitious urbanization drive to turn tens of millions of rural farmers into urban consumers. The government has a detailed blueprint outlining how it intends to implement this project. A key component is targeting city clusters as the country’s core economic structure over the coming years. Companies who familiarize themselves with this program and adopt a clustering strategy of their own will benefit from additional scale and a more efficient use of resources. To that end, FSG has developed a tool that will enable MNCs to identify the cities and clusters of most value to their business. Executives should consider using this tool to align their organization’s approach to China with the government’s city-cluster development model.

FSG's CEO Rich Leggett and Director for Global Economics Antonio Martinez discuss the outlook for the healthcare industry in Latin America, focusing on the short-term outlook, long-term opportunities and challenges, and strategies for success in a changing landscape for pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

Western European markets are recovering at a moderate pace as market conditions gradually improve. However, a number of downside risks in the political sphere and the region’s banking sector will weigh on business and consumer confidence during 2017, making planning more complex for multinational companies looking to accelerate growth in the region

Mexico confronts potential disruptions to its economic model due to the renegotiation of NAFTA and the increasing likelihood of a populist president coming to power in 2018. FSG's Director for Global Economics Antonio Martinez discusses what's next for Mexico and how multinationals can prepare for persistent uncertainty over the coming year.

After a turbulent week with a government reshuffle and sovereign ratings downgrades, executives need to adjust expectations about South Africa, but also assess which aspects of the market environment are likely to remain unchanged. In this podcast, FSG's Senior Analyst for Sub-Saharan Africa William Attwell discusses what's next for the market and how multinationals need to adjust.

FSG's CEO Rich Leggett and EMEA Research Managing Director Martina Bozadzhieva discuss the outlook for EMEA over the next several months, and the risks EMEA leadership teams should be monitoring that could derail relatively strong economic performance in Q1 2017. They also cover emerging opportunities across the region, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and industries benefiting from shifts in market conditions.

FSG's CEO, Richard Leggett, and Practice Leader for South Asia, Pratima Singh, discuss the India Subnational Prioritization report, including the importance of state-level prioritization in India, the methodology, and the main findings of the state prioritization exercise.

Senior Analyst for Russia, Mark McNamee, and Western Europe Analyst Athanasia Kokkinogeni, discuss Russia's medium-term political and economic outlook. As multinationals review their three- to five-year plans for Russia, it's essential for them to link these macro trends to both the risks and opportunities their businesses would need to navigate over the next several years.

FSG's CEO, Richard Leggett, and Southeast Asia Analyst Chua Cheng Siew, discuss the outlook for Vietnam as it implements reforms to improve business conditions. They examine the drivers behind the country's fast growing economy, as well as the trends and risks in an increasingly urbanized Vietnam.

FSG's CEO, Richard Leggett and Managing Director for FSG's Global Channel Practice, Ryan Brier, discuss the management interventions that tend to yield the greatest improvements in distributor performance in emerging markets.

FSG's CEO, Richard Leggett, and Senior SSA Analyst William Attwell, discuss the outlook for Ethiopia as it recovers following a period of political unrest and severe drought. They assess the drivers behind the country’s robust economic growth, examining how MNCs can capitalize on the country’s 100-million strong population, and the government’s ambitious investment-driven development program.

FSG's CEO, Richard Leggett, and Global Economics Practice Leader Antonio Martinez discuss the Events to Watch for 2017 report, including the the methodology behind the report, the events that may disrupt multinational business performance and operations, and the importance of contingency planning in emerging markets

FSG's Middle East & North Africa team discusses the recent economic reforms in Egypt and their impact on MNCs' pricing strategies in the market.

The market is set to exit its severe slowdown in 2017 thanks to a minimal increase in energy prices and rising public investment. MNCs can get ahead of the competition to capitalize on growing opportunities into 2018 by increasing their focus on their channel and targeting more resilient customer segments

FSG's CEO, Richard Leggett, and Global Economics Practice Leader Antonio Martinez discuss the Global Outlook for 2017, including the trajectory for the emerging global growth drivers, the priority actions for multinationals, and the outlook for major markets and geographies in 2017.

The minor rise in oil prices in 2017 will limit growth across CIS. The major energy exporters will continue to struggle because of their over-reliance on energy revenues while energy importers will see growth rebound more strongly. MNCs should focus on customer segmentation while identifying opportunities in smaller markets with stronger growth potential to offset slower growth elsewhere.

The Philippines is a rising star among the Southeast Asian economies after recording high growth for the past few years. Domestic consumption will be the main growth engine. While the previous administration tried to tackle crime and infrastructure woes with little results, the new president, Rodrigo Duterte, is going all out to change things

Nigeria's economy remains under pressure from currency depreciation, slowing growth, and policy uncertainty. In this podcast, we discuss what MNCs should include in their plans for the market going forward, what risks they should prepare for, and where in the market opportunities remain.

Listen to Anna Rosenberg, Head of FSG's Sub-Saharan Africa practice as she discusses the outlook for Kenya for the next 12 months.

2017 will continue to pose challenges to many SSA markets. Currency volatility, low commodity prices, and slow growth in large markets will continue to put pressure on SSA, but their effect will vary depending on countries' quality of governance. MNCs must revisit their market portfolios and adapt country and subregional strategies, particularly in targeting specific customer segments.

FSG's latest podcast on Kenya's distribution landscape including strategy recomendations to help you optimize your channel in East Africa's most attractive economy.

Currency volatility, competitive pressures, and more price-sensitive customers are pressuring MNCs’ emerging-market pricing processes and strategies. In this podcast, we discuss key insights from FSG's latest research on how companies should adapt their pricing processes to win in this environment.

Despite a mild improvement in market conditions, volatility in EMEA will continue throughout the rest of 2016. FSG's CEO Richard Leggett and head of EMEA research Martina Bozadzhieva discuss the outlook for the EMEA region in H2 2016 and 2017 and the key trends that MNCs need to monitor and adapt to in the coming months.

MNCs are entering Côte d’Ivoire at a rapid pace, attracted by pro-business government policies, sound macroeconomic fundamentals, and a stable political outlook. FSG senior analysts Alexa Lion and Mark McNamee dive into the reasons, past and present, for Côte d’Ivoire's dramatic rise and the opportunities this creates for multinationals.

In this podcast, FSG's Europe Senior Analyst Mark McNamee discusses the potential for Brexit and its implications for the UK and EU business environments. While still unlikely, the odds of Brexit have increased in the weeks leading up to the vote on June 23rd. MNCs need to plan for the day after, assessing the impact on currencies as well as local partners and operations.

As more multinational companies operate across an increasingly diverse portfolio of emerging markets, it is now more important than ever to clearly outline what data can and cannot do.

MNCs are anxious about how Saudi Arabia's ambitious 2030 plan will impact their business. FSG believes the plan can be successful, but it will depend the government's ability to partner with the private sector and maintain buy-in from citizens. This podcast assesses the Vision 2030 plan and outlines tactics that MNCs can use to adjust to the new environment.

As India’s role in multinationals’ emerging-markets portfolio evolves, it’s becoming increasingly important to think strategically about the market and build an effective organization. Use FSG’s four key success drivers to overcome challenges in the market and build an effective organization in India

After a challenging start to 2016, executives need to ensure that their 2016 EMEA startegies lay the ground for strong performance despite what is likely to be a year of volatility. In this podcast, FSG's head of EMEA Research Martina Bozadzhieva and MENA Research Practice Lead Matthew Spivack discuss how businesses should adapt to the region's shifting environment.

MNCs must adjust market expectations and business strategies as China undergoes a structural shift, transitioning from an investment-driven model to a consumption-oriented economy during 2016–2020

Nigeria is facing significant macroeconomic uncertainty, which is creating a tough business environment for MNCs' local partners. Alexa Lion, senior analyst, discusses the major challenges and forward-looking trends in the distribution landscape, which MNCs should assess when protecting their investments and managing their local partners in this environment

The oil price drop in early 2016 has caused substantial volatility, prompting MNCs to re-assess their assumptions and strategies for the year. This podcast discusses FSG's revised 2016 oil price forecasts, their implications for EMEA markets, and actions executives should take.