Launching advwise, a digital consulting start-up

Abstract

The following research aims to analyze how Advwise, a digital consulting start-up, should position itself in the market. It intends to differentiate itself from the competition by customizing the solutions offered to the current needs of Portuguese SMEs. Specialization in a more particular target client, taking into account the type of service they value most, is also in the scope of analysis. Thus, research was conducted on the concept of digital transformation; on the importance of a business model in defining the positioning and value proposition; and on the Portuguese consulting market. The methodology used to answer the research was the elaboration of a market study, which includes an analysis to the consulting market in Portugal, to the Portuguese small and medium enterprises market, and to the competitors within the sector. Moreover, an elaboration of interviews with companies from different industries was also conducted with the same purpose, proceeding to a qualitative and thematic analysis. Three dimensions were identified: the characterization of the growth of digital transformation in the market; the positioning in the consulting market; and customer preferences. This analysis concludes that Advwise should position itself as a digital development strategist, to distance itself from traditional consulting firms and IT companies. Its focus should be on medium sized companies with greater structure and financial means, adopting a role as a digital facilitator, through an ecosystem with partners specialized in various areas of digital. Working as a cluster it will provide an A-Z service, from planning to implementation and monitoring.

Date of Award	5 Jul 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Rute Xavier (Supervisor)