Tag Archives: bop market creation

Questioning the value of the term Base or Bottom of the Pyramid aka the BoP

By Niti Bhan | Published: November 18, 2011

Siim Esko wrote a short piece on his blog BoP Strategies after a conversation we recently had. Since much of his work focuses on the BoP in India and I’d just returned from the Kenyan tour, it was but natural for us to compare and contrast the challenges and the conditions of the lower income […]

Posted in Analysis, Base of the Pyramid, Business, Design, Marketing, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, rural, Strategy, urban, User research | Also tagged bop, bop marketing, culture, demographic, global, nuance, region, segmentation, understanding bop | 1 Response

Opportunity spaces vs ideas – business development for the BoP markets

By Niti Bhan | Published: September 30, 2011

Ideas or concepts are not the same as opportunity spaces or gaps in a particular market. Exploratory user research can identify opportunities for innovation, that is, either unmet needs or gaps in the existing ecosystem which could be filled by a product or service with the intent to create and provide value. On the other […]

Posted in Analysis, Base of the Pyramid, Business, Emerging Markets, Research | Also tagged Africa, analysis, bottom of the pyramid, business model, design, emerging markets, informal economy, informal markets, informal sector, innovation, relevant, strategy, user research | Leave a comment

Barriers to business with the ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’ : what can we learn from Mama Boi?

By Niti Bhan | Published: September 23, 2011

The Monitor Group has made available the complete HBR article “Is the Bottom of the Pyramid Really for you?” (PDF) where the authors frame the debate for multinationals questioning whether to consider entering this challenging though untapped segment of the global marketplace. They list some of the common barriers faced by executives during their attempts […]

Posted in Business, Ecosystem, Emerging Markets, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Strategy | Also tagged Africa, bop, bop consumer, brands, informal economy, informal markets, informal segment, market creation, marketing, unbranded | Leave a comment

Visible sign of market creation for a product designed for social impact

By Niti Bhan | Published: July 16, 2011

It struck me when I saw this Moneymaker pump by Kickstart on a street corner matatu stand in Nairobi while wandering around a market with Muchiri who was shopping for shoes. I’m giving this level of detail so you can see the context in which we spotted this classic and oft quoted example of a […]

Posted in Business, Design, Innovation Planning, Kenya, Marketing, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Technology | Also tagged Africa, bop, design, innovation, kickstart, market, social impact | Leave a comment

Systems design lessons from challenging and demanding environments

By Niti Bhan | Published: March 18, 2010

The most common question posed by designers (at the Design Factory, in Finland) has been “What is different about designing for the BoP from the way I already design for mainstream consumers?” Its a good question to ask, because it takes a systemic view of the user centered design process and methods being taught to […]

Posted in Base of the Pyramid, Business, Design, Ecosystem, Frugality, Innovation Planning, Platforms, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Process, Strategy, Systems | Also tagged bop, bop marketing, prahalad, systems design, systems thinking | Leave a comment