2 examples of market studies carried out by HEC Junior Conseil

Every year, HEC Junior Conseil conducts nearly 50 market studies for its clients, which makes it one of the most requested services. For this reason, it seems important to go back over what a market study is: what it consists of, what it brings and in which cases it is relevant . To better understand HEC Junior Conseil's expertise in this field, we will take the example of two market studies conducted by our association.

At first glance, a market is defined by the environment in which companies evolve, and where supply and demand for a good or service meet. Each market has its own specificities: it can be national or regional, concentrated or diffuse, or seasonal, captive... Hence the need for a market study... carried out by HEC Junior Conseil.

Market research is the work of collecting and analyzing information about the market to identify its characteristics. It includes information on market size, trends, potential customers and competition.

Such a study meets several needs, but its primary use is to limit, as much as possible, the risks of failure when launching on a market, and to make the right decisions before the launch.

First, it allows you to verify if what seems to be a business opportunity is really a business opportunity, by asking the right questions: does my project (launching a business, a new good or service, etc.) meet a need? is this need covered by the competition? can the market accept a new entrant? is the project viable in the long term? will the market in which I am launching myself grow in the coming years? To answer these fundamental questions, the market study must, on the one hand, collect a maximum of information and, on the other hand, identify the constraints and the keys to success of the market.

In a second stepthe market study can be used to evaluate a projected turnover in order to validate the project from a financial point of view, based on the quantitative and qualitative data collected during the study.

The market study is therefore essential to make the right decisions and to make the project succeed in an optimal way. It can be useful in many cases, both to give credibility to a project with yourself, and/or with partners.

When you call on us, you benefit from the excellence of HEC Paris' training - Europe's leading business school (Financial Times, European Business Schools Ranking 2021) - and from HEC Junior Conseil's expertise: we carry out nearly 150 studies each year, including about 50 market studies. Twenty project managers are at your disposal to answer your requests, all having been selected from among a hundred or so students. In addition, HEC Junior Conseil has carried out missions for 85% of the CAC 40 companies and has an annual turnover of more than 500 000€.

For each study, and in particular for market research, HEC Junior Conseil relies on the most relevant contributors: the study itself is carried out by a HEC Paris Master 2 student, whose training and/or internships are related to the field of the study. Double degrees are also relevant in many cases: the double degree with Polytechnique for engineering, the one with ENSAE for data...

From a practical point of view, HEC Junior Conseil also has access to numerous sources of data useful for each market study: Xerfi for sector studies; Statista for statistical data; Marketline for market studies... It also relies on the large pool of students at HEC Paris to create data (quantitative and/or qualitative studies), or on the vast network of 60,000 alumni

Finally, HEC Junior Conseil has recognized experience in conducting market research and relies on a proven methodology.

Read also: " 5 reasons to call on HEC Junior Conseil? 

Because of the confidential nature of market research and the commitments that bind us (we offer our clients a confidentiality charter when the situation requires it), HEC Junior Conseil cannot disclose the name of the first client, nor the results of the research.

The study comes in the context of the emergence of new digital players in the savings offer to individuals, such as Yomoni: created in 2014, the company raised €8.7 million in September 2020, and is now approaching €700 million in assets under management. Our client therefore wishes to carry out a study to assess the market potential and study the competition. In addition, he asked for a business plan, which was also carried out by HEC Junior Conseil.

When HEC Junior Conseil receives a call for tenders, two of its project managers work on the subject and draw up an intervention proposal that will be offered to the client. They propose an adapted methodology and solutions to meet these needs, all summarized in a budget and a contractual schedule.

To perfectly meet the client's requirements and to carry out the market study, the project leaders decided to call upon a student from HEC Paris in Master 2 Finance who had completed a one-year internship in investment funds. The student has a precise knowledge of the savings sector, of Fintech players, and has already conducted market studies.

HEC Junior Conseil offers a solution adapted to each study.

The consultant in charge of the market study provided the client with an exhaustive deliverable articulated around the following axes: the evolution of the retail savings market in France, the different digital savings platforms, the customer experience of a digital platform. In addition, the study proposes a double analysis from the point of view of the offer (/the company) on the one hand, and of the demand (/the customer) on the other hand.

The market study combines analysis and figures, summarized by "key insights". In particular, while life insurance remains the star product for households, retirement savings are emerging as a serious challenger due to new regulations, which the student analyzes in detail (PACTE Act, MIFID II, RGPD, etc.). He proposes and develops several reflections on the demand in France: increase in interest in savings, increase in the household savings rate, particular interest in equity products, overall rejuvenation of the investor profile, impact of confinement on savings, growing share of responsible and solidarity investment...

The speaker then studies the competition and the players present on the market, focusing on the new digital platforms: Bruno, Yeeld, cashbee, Nalo, Mon Petit Placement, Yomoni, WeSave, etc. He distinguishes between different market drivers (such as the type of products offered, the user experience, the fees, the ecosystem, the performance KPIs) and analyzes the positioning of each player according to the drivers identified.

The last phase of the study focuses on the user experience during four moments: service discovery, prospect relationship, customer conversion and customer life.

During this study, HEC Junior Conseil proved to be a provider of choice, proposing an adapted and perfectly executed solution. The company was very satisfied with the study, and has since launched a savings offer dedicated to individuals with products such as life insurance and PER. In addition, it has taken into account requests for socially responsible investments (SRI) by giving them an important part in their offer.

The second market study we will discuss was conducted for Poethic, a joint venture between Bioplasmar (an Israeli start-up) and Sede (a subsidiary of Veolia), which received support from the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Paris).

Bioplasmar has developed an innovative technology based on the use of organic waste, vegetable glue and a biodegradable coating to manufacture degradable products in the soil, including flower pots. The process has been awarded by the European Commission (Seal of Excellence, Horizon 2020 program) because it provides an alternative to plastic.

If Poethic has already realized important investments to produce the pots (purchases of a factory and machines), it intends from now on to define its commercial strategy. Indeed, the technologies of biodegradable pots exist since the middle of the years 2000, but they struggle to find their place on the market, where from the necessity of a market study.

The study was conducted in several phases: an analysis of the biodegradable pot market and trends, a study of the legal and regulatory framework, a study of the competition, a study of business strategies and a final phase including recommendations.

The market study was based on a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats): this tool is used to identify a business strategy to develop a company. It is based on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats surrounding a project. It gives the company a good overall view of the situation.

The consultant made several recommendations at the end of the study, which allowed the company to refine its strategy and move forward in both the consumer and professional markets. One year after the study, Poethic opened a new 8,000 square meter factory in the Vienne region of France, which will market biodegradable pots made from compost and flour.