Live Case – Project

Helping a Fast-Growing Geolocation Data Company Define a Target Market for its New Product

A Collaboration Between

Project Synopsis

Gravy collects vast amounts of geolocation data and has done so since its inception in 2011. More than ever before, marketers are trying to collect and make sense of this type of data. Geolocation data is one of the most sought-after types of consumer data that can be collected today, and most companies are barely scratching the surface of it’s potential.

Gravy, through their various products, allows clients to make actionable decisions based on geolocation data. For now, Gravy has been working with various partners to analyze, package, and deliver this collected information to clients in the retail, entertainment, and hotel industries. With the launch of their new Gravy Insights tool, the team is looking for help defining a target audience and marketing the product’s various use cases.

Jeff, the company’s CEO, and a seasoned entrepreneur, needs help identifying the industries and use cases they can best target using their Gravy Insights, a portal, which helps companies better understand their customers and their competition. This will include research of location data already available in the vertical you select, as well as interviews with marketing practitioners to identify use cases where Gravy can make the highest impact. In addition to industry due diligence and customer discovery, Jeff and the entire Gravy team is seeking your consultation in determining the best way to package and market the Gravy Insight product to the customer segments you’ve identified. They’re also looking for your help in planning a go-to-market strategy in the most potentially lucrative industries.

Overview

Gravy is pioneer in the geolocation data analytics space. This five year old company has accumulated trillions of location data points from 250+ million mobile phone users in the United States. Every day, Gravy processes over 8 billion location signals generated by their opted-in mobile consumers. This data, in addition to the more than 1 million+ monthly events and 10 million+ points of interest, makes Gravy one of the largest repositories of geolocation data in existence. 

Gravy is built on Privacy by Design principles, which means the information they collect is done in an anonymous and encrypted way. The company is working on fine-tuning a suite of products that leverages their geolocation data so that they can better monetize their business. The company believes that they can use aggregate location data to help companies better understand their customers. In addition, Gravy also envisions using their data to help marketers better target different audience segments within their customer base, so that they can ultimately convert more business. 

Gravy’s mass geolocation data is derived from signals received from mobile phone users that have opted into their service through one of their data partners. Gravy uses their proprietary AdmitOneTM system to verify geolocation points and ensure the quality of the information they’re collecting. The company is then able to cross-reference the geographical data points with local events, vendor locations, and other places of interest to better understand consumer profiles (including typical activities, shopping preferences, and other key metrics). So far, the company has developed three products, which include Gravy Audiences, Gravy Insights, and Gravy Data as a Service (DaaS). 

Gravy Audiences, their initial product, was developed as a way to collate groups of users based on similar interests and characteristics. Each of these groups is defined as a specific audience (i.e., Coffee Shop Lovers, New/Expecting Parents, Golf Enthusiasts) and can be sold to companies and marketing agencies. Note: there is no personally identifiable information that is exchanged. Gravy uses the device ID to help marketers target broad consumer groups based on their similar characteristics.

Project Context

Gravy’s suite of patented tools allow them to provide corporations such as Walmart, Best Buy, Marriott, TGI Fridays and others with verified consumer attendance data providing a new level of insight into consumer behavior. The company recently launched a new product, Gravy Insights, and is looking for your advice on which market to address first, and how to design the go-to-market strategy. Students should expect to work closely with Dana, Jolene, and other members of the Gravy product and marketing teams on this project. This student consulting project aims to help Gravy identify multiple customer verticals that the company could pursue thus defining their target market moving forward. Working with the product and marketing teams at Gravy will be a great opportunity for students to research, evaluate and possibly alter Gravy’s business model and the company’s overall strategy.

Project Topics

Marketing

Product Design & Development

Company Information

CompanyGravy Analytics
HQVirginia
RevenueUnlisted
Employees25-50
StageMedium Business
Hiring PotentialFollow-on Projects, Formal Internship, Entry Level Full-Time
Websitehttps://gravyanalytics.com/

Company Overview

Gravy Analytics delivers real-world location intelligence to advertisers and brands. Where we go is who we are. Gravy's patented technology, AdmitOneTM, verifies consumer attendances at millions of places and events, providing unprecedented insight into consumer activities and interests. Advertisers rely on Gravy Audiences to power precision-targeted mobile advertising campaigns. Brands trust Gravy Insights to provide unmatched customer and competitive intelligence. Gravy Analytics processes billions of location signals each day from its nationwide base of opted-in mobile devices for unparalleled reach and scale.

Experiential Learning Program Details

SchoolUniversity Of Maryland
Engagement FormatLive Case - Think "Hackathon" or Case Competition with a whole class of students! This learning format allows educators to deliver experiential learning to students at scale. Students are often split into groups to work on a live case (or a series of cases) from a real host company that directly relates to key learning objectives.
Course
LevelN/A
Students EnrolledN/A
Meeting Day & TimeN/A
Student Time Commitment4-7 Hours Per Week
Company Time Commitment2 Hours
Duration5 Weeks

Program Timeline

Touchpoints & Assignments Due Date Type

Key Project Milestones

  • July 3, 2017 - Part 1: Industry History & Competitive Landscape

    • How has the data analytics industry developed and changed over time? What consumer data did companies focus on collecting before location data? 
    • Why did Gravy pivot from a consumer based platform to a business facing one? 
    • Review Gravy’s current patented suite of tools… 
      • What core products does Gravy’s offer? How do they differ from one another? 
      • What data is already available at Gravy? How do they collect, cluster, and analyze all of their data? 
      • What are the strengths of Gravy’s model and why is it disruptive? 
      • What are potential threats and weaknesses given Gravy’s model? 
    • Who is Gravy directly competing with in consumer location data gathering? 
      • What differentiates them from Gravy? Target market? Industry type/size? 
      • What makes Gravy unique? 
      • What metrics can help benchmark Gravy vs these competitors? 
    • Who are the other key players in the geolocation industry? How has Gravy worked with them in the past?

    Suggested Deliverable:

    Provide Gravy Analytics with a report detailing the historical and competitive landscape.

  • July 3, 2017 -


  • July 10, 2017 - Part 2: Current Customer Analysis

    • Who are Gravy’s current customers?
      • Which products are they using?
      • How has their experience been so far? 
    • How are the Gravy products being used to aid with sales, marketing, and operations? 
    • What is Gravy’s current customer acquisition model for Gravy Audiences and Gravy DaaS? 
    • Given the current strategy, what is the attainable market for Gravy in the US? What about abroad? 
    • Choose 1 existing Gravy case study and analyze the services provided and value delivered 
      • Who was the customer? 
      • What industry are they in? 
      • What was the campaign? 
      • How long did the entire process last?
      • What insights did they gather and ultimately deliver?

    Suggested Deliverable:

    Using the guiding questions, provide Gravy Analytics with a detailed analysis of their customers’ experiences.

  • July 10, 2017 -


  • July 24, 2017 - Part 3: New Opportunity Assessment

    • What should Gravy’s strategy be when it comes to Gravy Insights? What industries are appropriate to target and what data would these groups be interested in? 
      • Select 2-3 potential industries for Gravy to pursue 
    • Research the selected industries and their current customer intelligence gathering strategies 
      • What type of data are they collecting? 
      • Do they currently collect/use location data? 
      • Do they purchase it from 3rd party vendors like Gravy? If so, from whom? At what price points? 
      • How have they used this data thus far? Strategic marketing? Customer profiling and consumer demographic segmentation? 
      • What other uses cases could these industries have for location data that they are not already exercising? 
      • How was it implemented and in what departments? How was it helpful? 
      • How can Gravy use this information to penetrate these industries? 
    • What are the barriers to entry into these markets? 
    • Interview marketing practitioners (potential customers) to identify use cases where Gravy can make the highest impact
    • Determine an appropriate pricing model to reflect the length of sales cycle and resources allocated for each industry.

    Suggested Deliverable:

    Conduct a new opportunity assessment using the questions above and provide a detailed report on your assessment along with any recommendations or items of relevance that came out of your research.

  • July 24, 2017 -


  • July 31, 2017 - Part 4: Go-To-Market Strategy

    • Select one of the target industries and identify a sample of specific potential customers 
      • How can the Gravy Insights tool be used in this industry? 
      • What value could Gravy deliver to these companies? 
      • Are there any companies in particular you would suggest Gravy target? Why? 
      • Suggest Purchase Path for customers 
    • Craft sample marketing material showcasing Gravy to this market 
      • Which Gravy case studies would be most appropriate to highlight? 
      • What statistics would this industry find most important?
      • Can you forecast the potential ROI for Gravy?

    Suggested Deliverable:

    Based on the selected Target Industry, provide a detailed go-to-market strategy for Gravy Analytics.

  • July 31, 2017 -


  • August 7, 2017 - Part 5: Final Presentation of Engagement Results

    Organize the critical information of the market research and present findings from the engagement.


    Suggested Deliverable:

    Final Presentations

  • August 7, 2017 -


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