Know-How Exchange : Research/Metrics

Why not attack it from first principles?

Suppose a saturated market sees 100% of the population using a product at some time in their day/week/year whatever...

Suppose each usage, say with shower gel, is approx 10 ml.

Say one package of product contains 250 ml - therefore 25 applications/usages.

Now take the population, figure how many opportunities for application they may have per year. Suppose its 50 - approx one per week. Maybe it's more...

So if every member of the poulation uses a product like this (any brand) then the annual market could be as high as 50/25 = 2 packages per person per year.

In practice, aside from air and water, there are very few products used by 100% of the population. Maybe you should look at the demographic segments you are seeking to sell to, and use that population in you calculations.

There are many ways to calculate competitor market share.

- Looking at Supermarket shelf space may help.
- Your major channels may publish retail sales figures by product.
- If products are imported, you may be able to get import figures by tariff item and country of origin.

The more products in the marketplace, the more fragmented it will be, and the more chance you will have of getting shelf space and knocking off one or more of the major competitors.

And if the brand image asociated with any of the incumbent players is out of tune with the market, you have a golden opportunity to create an image that speaks to the market's wants and desires.

Good Luck.