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Tobias Borris
A deep dive into the strategic moves behind establishing a leading innovation firm in Central Europe
Summary
A leading US innovation consulting firm aimed to establish its first practice in Central Europe following its acquisition by Europe’s top technology and consulting conglomerate. In a true team effort, a comprehensive go-to-market strategy was crafted, positioning the studio at the crossroads of strategy and execution, combining analytical rigor with creative thinking. Key steps included building a team that embodied the firm’s "Money & Magic" philosophy, implementing targeted recruitment, and driving business development through creative marketing, stakeholder management, and strategic account growth in partnership with the company’s consulting arm. The initial launch was completed within a year, with further growth and development continuing over the next two years. This approach led to a successful entry into the German market, achieving profitability in the first year and rapidly scaling to become a leader in innovation strategy consulting.
Context
In 2016, a global management consulting firm, with a revenue surpassing £18 billion as of 2023, acquired a leading innovation and design consultancy based in New York City. This consultancy, once dubbed "The Epicenter of Innovation" by Esquire, was renowned for its expertise in helping ambitious companies envision and build products, services, and business models that redefine the future. The acquisition aimed to enhance the firm's digital innovation capabilities, particularly in North America. By 2018, the decision was made to extend this successful model into the German-speaking market. As the inaugural employee in Central Europe, I had the privilege of playing a pivotal role in establishing this new consulting practice in collaboration with senior leadership. This endeavor was a true team effort, made possible by the invaluable support of numerous colleagues from various studios, the established consulting arm, and the foundational team of the German studio. Their collective expertise, collaboration, and dedication transformed this period into one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.
Approach
Go-to-Market Strategy
Together with senior leadership, I drove the development of a comprehensive go-to-market strategy by analyzing competitors and defining our unique selling proposition and market positioning. The studio was positioned at the sweet spot between strategy and implementation, and between analytical and creative. We bridged the gap between management consulting firms, ad agencies, software developers, and traditional design studios, being the only strategy consulting firm capable of actually building profitable new products, services, and business models. This approach guaranteed that all solutions contributed to the client’s growth strategy and met consumer needs from the outset by fusing creative and commercial thinking.
I outlined how revenue targets could be achieved and identified the support and resources required to achieve these targets. A close collaboration with internal units ensured that our efforts were aligned with global priorities, thereby enhancing our market impact.
Recruitment and Team Building
Recognizing the importance of building a strong team, I supported on defining the team structure, identified key roles, and implemented a targeted recruitment strategy to attract top talent from leading consultancies and creative agencies.
Central to this was our "Money & Magic" philosophy, which merges the analytical rigor of finance professionals with the creativity of designers and expertise of technologists to develop solutions that address both business needs and consumer desires in light of emerging technologies. Additionally, I identified the capabilities and focus areas that the team could own with confidence as design thinking became increasingly incorporated throughout the wider organization. This strategic alignment ensured that our team was well-equipped to leverage their strengths and contribute effectively to our innovation goals.
With creativity being a critical factor in developing high-growth products and businesses, I set out to bring our internal motto "amaze each other daily" to life. I led internal trainings and workshops, consistently pushing the boundaries when it came to creating product concepts and solutions that were net-new and solved for the consumer.
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Marketing Initiatives and Business Development
In parallel, I focused on business development by identifying key sectors and clients. This involved determining which clients to cross-sell and which new clients to approach. I developed creative assets that unlocked access to new C-suite contacts at leading companies, facilitating strategic engagements and building new relationships. I also localized our offering and created modular packages, some in combination with third parties, to unlock further opportunities and tailor our solutions to the specific needs of the German market.
To drive visibility and establish thought leadership, I introduced the “Clean Growth” offering, which provided innovative strategies for creating sustainable and differentiated product portfolios in the CPG and retail industries. Additionally, I launched the “Quantensprung” podcast, featuring interviews with industry experts and thought leaders, which further enhanced our visibility and reputation.
My representation at the 48forward festival, a virtual conference with over 1,000 global attendees, allowed me to share insights on achieving commercial growth while transitioning to a green future, reinforcing our commitment to thought leadership in sustainability. These efforts, combined with targeted stakeholder engagement and collaboration, resulted in multiple project acquisitions and enabled us to achieve profitability within the first year.
Outcome
The expansion into the German market was highly successful, achieving profitability within the first year. From my initial role as the first employee, I led the rapid scaling of our team, which has since become a pivotal and well-integrated part of the organization. The team is now recognized as a leading innovation strategy consulting group in Germany. Since then, the company has been acknowledged as a leader in Customer Experience Strategy by Forrester.
In 2021, the innovation consultancy joined forces with a global iconic design firm that is also part of the parental company, creating a stronger, more integrated innovation and design practice within the wider consulting group.
Key Services
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Go-to-Market Strategy, including competitor analysis, strategic positioning and communication, business strategy localization, and KPI definition.
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Recruitment and Team Building, including talent gap analysis, recruitment strategy design, onboarding processes, internal training sessions, and establishment of a creative culture while integrating with the parent company's culture and structure.
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Marketing Initiatives, including development of marketing plans, creation and presentation of keynotes at internal and external conferences, and thought leadership activities such as podcast creation and facilitation.
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Business Development, including development of sales strategies, stakeholder engagement, proposal creation, pitching, and development of new consulting offerings.
Duration
The initial launch of the innovation practice was completed in about a year, followed by over two additional years in senior roles in which I further advanced its growth and development.
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