Social businesses face complex challenges in their organisations, markets and eco-systems. To support local teams the Siemens foundation’s “empowering people” network offers trainings for qualification to selected social entrepreneurs. The workshop provides specific knowledge and offers a communication platform to challenges in daily business.
On behalf of the Siemens foundation adelphi prepared and facilitated the third “empowering people. Onsite” workshop with 19 participants from 7 African countries in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. The three-day workshop addressed the issue “market research and customer insights” with a dual approach: While the first sessions presented different elements of market research and customer analysis, in the second part participants could test and scrutinize different theoretical claims with “reality checks”. Thereby, participants could identify and analyze characteristics, market forces and market assumptions. Further issues were customer segments, the identification improvement areas for products and services as well as the evaluation of key products and service features. In order to simulate real customer feedback and to gather market knowledge, the workshop took advantage of a variety of methods like focal groups, simulations, role plays und case studies.