Market Analysis & Strategic Planning

“What’s next?” must take a back seat to “What now?” for managers. But sending us out to scout the road ahead can keep you from driving into a ditch.

• Business plan development
• Market sizing and opportunity assessment
• Competitive analysis

Custom Data Analytics

Too much data in some markets and none in others can strand cannabis execs in the fog. Decades of data crunching let us quickly spot the key trends and deliver answers to client questions.

• Research-based consumer insights
• “What-if” scenario forecasting
• Cultivation and manufacturing market sizing

Regulatory & Litigation Support

Few have made as careful a study of the impact of new technologies and regulation on consumer product markets, or the history and outcomes of partnership and licensing deals in the industry.

• Data-backed litigation support
• History-backed advice on regulatory approaches

Building on past success

Client: Large, privately held multi-state operator

Challenge: Neighboring state going legal

Approach: Assessed likely market size and characteristics given proposed regulations; mapped likely other entrants; assessed licensing options; forecast potential company revenue

Result: Client passed on immediate entry. After entering other states, client was acquired in largest-ever acquisition by a publicly held MSO

Cannabis supply agreement arbitration

Client: Large hemp cultivator

Challenge: Enforce contract terms with major international cannabis product manufacturer in binding arbitration

Approach: Provided expert analysis of hemp and cannabis product market dynamics, the history of regulations, and supply chain economics

Result: Following filing of expert reports, client obtained mid-eight-figure settlement

Strategic planning for leading cannabis company

Client: Top-ranked cannabis company

Challenge: Evaluate strategic options in state moving to adult-use legalization.

Approach: Market sizing, competitive positioning analysis, and assessment of growth opportunities.

Result: Client subsequently acquired in one of the largest cannabis transactions to date

Cannabinoid market entry assessment

Client: Major international beverage conglomerate

Challenge: Evaluated opportunity to enter the licensed cannabinoid market leveraging existing beverage distribution and R&D capabilities

Approach: Comprehensive market assessment including regulatory landscape analysis, beverage demand forecasting, competitive mapping, and go-to-market scenario planning

Result: Client passed on immediate entry while beverage-industry competitors lost millions entering the market prematurely

Business process patent dispute

Client: Major streaming innovator

Challenge: Assess “original art” status of awarded patent.

Approach: Provided expert analysis of prior art in consumer media consumption models

Result: Expert reports and testimony delivered; case resolved

Executive compensation dispute in entertainment

Client: Counsel in high-profile entertainment industry contract dispute

Challenge: Quantify home video revenue contributions to studio profits as part of executive compensation claim

Approach: Provided expert analysis of home entertainment revenue streams, leveraging Adams Media Research’s decades of tracking studio-level home video sell-through and rental economics

Result: Expert reports delivered; parties reached substantial settlement

Syndicated study of video-on-demand

Client: Four major film/TV studios

Challenge: Digital delivery: Should studios count on cable operators, or go it alone on Internet?

Approach: Three-phase project: 1) Technology assessment, 2) Quantitative and qualitative consumer studies, 3) Scenario analysis and recommendations

Result: Found consumers uninterested in cable VOD rentals, and cable TV subscription starting continuous decline. Several studio Internet streaming services finally reaching profitability.

Analysis of digital media transition

Client: One of the largest technology companies in the world

Challenge: Assess opportunity to leverage client’s tech platforms to produce & deliver content

Approach: Multi-year tracking and analysis of 28 attributes of worldwide digital initiatives of 20 largest content companies

Result: Client passed on opportunity; seeing content creation to be a very low-margin business. Client avoided enormous losses and continued thriving on its ubiquitous technology.

Advise on DVD transition

Client: One of the world’s largest entertainment conglomerates

Challenge: Crunch Nielsen and Adams Media Research sales/rental data to advise on rental vs. sell-through pricing strategy for DVD roll-out.

Result: Advised to pursue low-wholesale sell-through pricing on all releases; US home video consumer spending tripled over five years