Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of our core arguments. Although profitable growth is widely acclaimed, there are differences on how to approach it. Traditional strategies for emerging markets emphasize entering large and undifferentiated markets, recalibrating products to make them more attractive and affordable for targeted segments, and capitalizing on economies of scale and scope to reduce overall costs. Our research indicates that this approach is limited, if not misplaced, when addressing the emerging needs of affluent middle-class sectors. An alternative logic focuses on building mass sales at the periphery of the distribution using broad differentiation strategies. This is developed with select partners as an overarching theme throughout the book and supported by field interviews and a survey of consumer goods in select Asian countries.