Methodology
The Work Continues Past the Recommendation
D2C Strategy’s work continues past the recommendation, carrying a market entry from an open question to a functioning operation through five defined phases.
Phase 1 DiagnosticA short scoping call fixes the specific market, sector and decision at stake. An initial reading of demand and competitive positioning comes out of that first pass. Read more
What Happens
A short scoping call fixes the specific market, sector and decision at stake. D2C Strategy pulls trade and production data and maps the most relevant regulatory bodies for that market. An initial reading of demand and competitive positioning comes out of that first pass.
Deliverable
A diagnostic memo answering one question directly: whether this market justifies the deeper strategy phase, and why.
Duration
Three to four weeks from the scoping call to the memo landing with the client.
Phase 2 Strategy designThe entry vehicle gets weighed and the financial model gets assembled during this phase. Regulatory barriers specific to the sector get mapped in detail alongside both. Read more
What Happens
The entry vehicle gets weighed and the financial model gets assembled during this phase. Regulatory barriers specific to the sector get mapped in detail alongside both.
Deliverable
A strategy memo naming the recommended vehicle and the timeline to launch. The financial model behind both is delivered as a separate working document a client's own finance team can stress-test.
Duration
Five to six weeks from the diagnostic memo's sign-off.
Phase 3 StructuringLegal entity formation moves forward in parallel with contract negotiation, whether that contract is a joint venture agreement or a distributor arrangement. Read more
What Happens
Legal entity formation moves forward in parallel with contract negotiation, whether that contract is a joint venture agreement or a distributor arrangement. Permit applications get filed with the regulator identified back in the diagnostic phase.
Deliverable
The joint venture agreement or distributor contract, signed, plus permit applications filed and receipted by the relevant regulator.
Duration
This phase is most exposed to a regulator's own timeline, running eight to fourteen weeks depending on the market and the permit involved.
Phase 4 LaunchThe entity goes live with its first concrete milestone: a first shipment moved, or a first tender submitted, depending on the sector. Read more
What Happens
The entity goes live with its first concrete milestone: a first shipment moved, or a first tender submitted, depending on the sector. D2C Strategy’s in-market partner stays engaged day to day through this phase, ahead of any handover to the client's own local team.
Deliverable
The operating entity live, and the first transaction or milestone completed and documented.
Duration
Ten to fourteen weeks, though sectors built around a first major tender or shipment cycle can run longer.
Phase 5 Scale supportD2C Strategy reviews performance against the original financial model every quarter and flags where results are diverging from the forecast. Read more
What Happens
D2C Strategy reviews performance against the original financial model every quarter and flags where results are diverging from the forecast. That review feeds directly into a recommendation for a second market, or a second phase within the same one.
Deliverable
A quarterly performance review comparing results against the model, plus an updated forecast where the two have moved apart.
Duration
Six to twelve months as standard, tapering to a lighter touch once performance tracks the model closely.
Confidentiality through every phase
A non-disclosure agreement is signed before the diagnostic phase begins, so trade data pulls and competitor mapping stay covered from day one. Data room access during structuring stays limited to the named partner and the client's own deal team.
The same senior partner carries a mandate from diagnostic through scale support, keeping the file with one person throughout.
See Where Your Market Would Start
Every engagement begins at the diagnostic phase, scoped to the market and sector in question.