You can use the Ansoff Matrix as a strategic framework to understand what growth strategy is more suited based on the market context. Developed by mathematician and business manager Igor Ansoff, it assumes a growth strategy can be derived from whether the market is new or existing, and whether the product is new or existing.
Ansoff matrix in a nutshell
According to the Ansoff matrix, you can evaluate a growth strategy based on whether you’re trying to grow in an existing market with an existing product (market penetration).
Whether you will try to grow in a new market with the same product line (market development).
Whether you will try to grow by developing new products in the existing market (product development). Or growing by developing new products for new markets (diversification).
Market penetration
In a market penetration scenario, the company grows by leveraging its existing products, thus trying to increase its market share in its current market.
Therefore, the company will either try to sell more to its customers or expand its customer base.
In this scenario, the company is not trying to expand the boundaries of its market, but rather to increase its presence in that market.
In short, the company grows by leveraging its products within its defined market.
Market penetration usually might move along two lines:
- 1 – Utilizing more distribution channels (expanded distribution).
- 2 – Mergers and acquisitions (expanded size).
Market penetration case study
Since its inception, Google has been able to grow its market share in search, year over year.
By simply leveraging on its core product (the search engine) the company has been able to grow consistently to dominate the search market.
Market development
In this scenario, the company grows by leveraging its products to expand in new markets.
Thus, the company will try to make its product available in new markets, and geographies.
Market development case study
When Facebook started to roll out, in the early years. The company followed a gradual traction model.
Where it opened to more and more universities first, in the US. Then moving to other niches and markets, until it opened to anyone.
Product development
In this scenario, a company grows by developing new products for the existing market, for instance, by developing new products that can benefit the same customer base.
There are various frameworks for product development, however, product development might leverage the following process:
- 1. Idea Generation
- 2. Idea Screening
- 3. Concept Testing
- 4. Business Case Analysis
- 5. Product development
- 6. Test marketing
- 7. Commercialization
- 8. Post-Launch Review
Product development case study
As Instagram was expanding its market share in the social media space, it started to experiment with new features that enabled it to gain more traction within the same market, thus growing quickly.
Diversification
In this scenario, a company grows by going beyond its market boundaries and by developing a whole new set of products.
Based on the degree to which the new product line and the market is adjacent compared to the existing market (related diversification) and a product line, or it goes far beyond it (unrelated diversification).
Diversification case study
When Apple launched the iPhone back in 2007, it risked cannibalizing its most successful product, the iPod.
Yet when the iPhone was out, in a few years would create a whole new category (smartphone) much bigger than that of music player devices.
Thus, making Apple develop an entirely new market as a consequence of launching a whole new product.
Is the Ansoff Matrix still useful?
In the Ansoff Matrix, growth is intended as the prioritization of the development of a portfolio of products, based on existing and new markets, and existing and new customers.
This perspective is also very relevant today.
Indeed, to build a viable business model, over time, a company needs to look into its core business but also beyond it.
This is the logic of using market expansion as a strategy for having the business thrive in the long term.
This connects to the framework of disruptive innovation, and what Clayton M. Christensen labeled Innovator’s Dilemma.
In short, a property business strategy must also include a future vision, where the company needs to move beyond what current customers want.
Otherwise, the company will fail in the long run due to its focus on profitable customers.
This is the paradox or dilemma. In short, as Clayton M. Christensen highlighted, the right short-term strategy often leads to long-term failure.
As executives are incentivized to prioritize current customers and profitable markets, which move the needle for the company’s quarterly profits.
Rather than looking into new markets, which are neither profitable nor big enough in the short period.
Ansoff matrix and the four growth strategies
A proper growth strategy must balance short- and long-term growth.
To prevent short-term optimizations from killing the business in the long run.
In a traditional sense, a proper marketing mix is made of four growth levels: price, product, promotion, and place.
Yet, this is the old way to look at growth.
In today’s context, it’s all about demand generation and the ability to build products that customers want, on the one hand, and the audacity to build and create demand for products that customers don’t even know they want yet!
It’s critical therefore, when looking at the value proposition to look at both, the practical side and the demand generation side!
With these lessons in mind, we want to use the Ansoff Matrix.
And in case, the Ansoff Matrix is not enough, we can use some alternatives.
Alternatives to the Ansoff Matrix
Usually, the Ansoff Matrix is used in conjunction with other strategic frameworks.
Or other strategic frameworks can be used as alternatives to the Ansoff Matrix.
Porter’s Five Forces
SWOT Analysis
BCG Matrix
Balanced Scorecard
Blue Ocean Strategy
GAP Analysis
Scenario Planning
Ansoff matrix vs. BCG matrix
Both Ansoff and BCG matrices are prioritization tools when it comes to a business development strategy.
The Ansoff matrix looks at business development via four primary strategies: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification.
The BCG Matrix looks at the various business units to classify them under four main categories:
And according to this classification, the BCG Matrix tries two possible sequences:
The aim of the BCG matrix is to move toward a success sequence. Where cash generated by so-called cash cows needs to be invested back in question marks that, over time, must become stars.
And the other main aim of the BCG Matrix is the prevent the disaster sequence, where cash from cash cows gets allocated and invested in question marks that turn into dogs.
Thus, the BCG Matrix looks into ways to generate positive product investment loops to ensure that financial resources from current cash cows can be used to generate new stars’ products.
While avoiding the negative loop, where the cash printed by cash cows, over time, only generates dog products.
Key Highlights
- Ansoff Matrix:
- Market Penetration:
- Grow by increasing market share in the current market with existing products.
- Achieved through selling more to existing customers or expanding the customer base.
- Example: Google’s consistent growth in search market share.
- Market Development:
- Grow by expanding into new markets with existing products.
- Make products available in new markets and geographies.
- Example: Facebook’s gradual traction model, starting with universities and expanding to different niches and markets.
- Product Development:
- Grow by developing new products for the existing market.
- Develop new products that benefit the same customer base.
- Example: Instagram experimenting with new features to gain traction within the social media market.
- Diversification:
- Grow by developing new products for new markets, going beyond current market boundaries.
- Can be related diversification (adjacent market) or unrelated diversification (far beyond existing market).
- Example: Apple launching the iPhone, creating a whole new category (smartphone) beyond the existing music player market.
- The Ansoff Matrix and Growth Strategies:
- Growth strategies should balance short-term and long-term growth to prevent long-term failure.
- Focus on both the practical side and demand generation side of the value proposition.
- Utilize alternatives to the Ansoff Matrix like Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT Analysis, BCG Matrix, Balanced Scorecard, Blue Ocean Strategy, GAP Analysis, Scenario Planning, etc.
- Ansoff Matrix vs. BCG Matrix:
- Both are prioritization tools for business development strategies.
- Ansoff Matrix focuses on four strategies, while BCG Matrix classifies business units into categories (cash cows, pets, question marks, and stars) to identify investment priorities and prevent negative loops.
Read also: Business Strategy, Examples, Case Studies, And Tools
What is 4 strategies of Ansoff Matrix?
The Ansoff Matrix helps you expand your product growth strategy by leveraging four key strategies: product development (expand new products for existing markets), market penetration (expand existing products for existing markets), diversification (expand by creating new products for new markets), and market development (leverage on existing products to develop new markets).
What does Ansoff Matrix measure?
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