Growth has become harder to capture and sustain. Yet against this challenging backdrop, most organizations still default to “safe” initiatives, pursuing incremental gains while underestimating the urgency of disruption. Others scramble for creativity without commercial grounding. Too many delays in launching new products or services, losing precious time to competitors. 

Although growth is a top priority for business leaders, in reality, very few companies systematically scan for and evaluate new and bolder growth opportunities. This leaves the rest vulnerable to stagnation. Meanwhile, new business models and technology innovation are shaking up competitive landscapes and changing industries forever.  

While this uncertainty is unsettling, growth is still possible. In fact, disruptive business models are poised to drive a significant share of future growth. Studies show that over 40% of CEOs expect to reinvent their business models within the next decade to stay competitive.  

The message is clear: incremental improvements are no longer enough, even for traditionally stable sectors. Companies must have the conviction to take a bold and differentiated approach if they want to outpace disruption and deliver measurable results.

Understanding the Growth Issue

So, what are the interconnected forces that are contributing to negative cycles?

• Saturated Markets
  Everyone is chasing the same customers with near-identical offerings. Marginal tweaks or upgrades no longer stand out.
• Relentless Disruption
  AI, geopolitics and changing regulations are rewriting the rules. Reinventors win. Reactors fall behind.
• Organizational Constraints
  Outdated systems and risk-averse silos block change. The biggest barriers are often internal.
• Data Without Direction
  Too much data, not enough clarity. Insight only matters if it drives action.
• Culture Dilemma
  Disconnected cultures stall growth. Motivation suffers when purpose, leadership and values misalign.
• Shifting Expectations
  Customers want relevance, responsibility and personalization. Staying ahead means constantly being responsive and adapting.

Together, these forces create a paradox: growth has never been more essential, but it has never been harder to capture.  

The Scenarios of Growth

So how can companies position for the long term? At Prophet, we see growth as more than short-term fixes. Our Uncommon Growth Moves approach is a systematic set of innovative and human-centered strategies to drive exceptional, sustainable, above industry average growth over a five-year period. 

These typically happen in six critical business situations. Although each scenario carries high stakes, they also have the potential to serve as a powerful engine of change:

• Launching a new business model or platform
• Entering a new market, category or subcategory
• Developing a new channel or touchpoint
• Creating a new, or revitalizing a product or service
• Launching a new brand or rebranding
• Entering a new partnership or pursuing M&A

The Four Steps to Uncommon Growth

Driving uncommon growth requires more than just aspirational ideas or solid business discipline on their own. So, what can set you apart? The real power lies in combining imagination with rigor. This means bringing together creative exploration to uncover transformative opportunities, but at the same time, anchoring ideas in commercial analysis, to ensure they can be executed at speed and scale. 

The real value is recognizing how to identify and initiate a path towards lasting growth. Prophet’s proven four-step approach helps leaders balance these forces, turning ambition into impact, as we demonstrate in these real-world examples: 

1. Immersion and Strategic Framing

Focus on the most promising growth spaces by identifying unmet needs, disruptive analogues and future “swim lanes” for innovation.
 
For example, we worked with a multinational telco company to uncover its customers’ pain points and frustrations. Based on this research, we led a significant brand refresh that positioned them as a genuine alternative to the competition. This resulted in 17 quarters of customer and revenue growth and five billion U.S. dollars in revenue attributed to this reframed approach.

2. Creative Exploration and Concept Development

Conduct rapid ideation sprints with interdisciplinary teams, clustering and prioritizing bold concepts based on impact and feasibility.
 
We recently worked with a global FMCG company to help them explore and evaluate more than 300 new product concepts. This involved bringing together their leaders in a large, in-person co-creation event, that was reinforced by AI-supported ideation sessions.

3. Business Casing and Road-Mapping

Model revenue potential, resource needs, and feasibility to ensure that ideas are grounded in commercial reality.
 
One company we partnered with had ambitious plans to be an early mover in releasing a new product. When building their fast-paced go-to market and break-even plan, we ensured the approach was commercially viable and impactful.

4. Launch Planning and Activation

Translate ambition into market impact with execution blueprints, campaign development, and leadership engagement tools.
 
A well-executed launch is not just about unveiling a product or service. It is a bold statement that helps you to stand out in a crowded marketplace. We partnered with a leading global bank to develop a series of immersive, high-touch roll-out events for a new product, that targeted high net worth individuals and created more than 500 new leads.

References: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/c-suite-insights/ceo-survey.html

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In today’s world of relentless volatility, geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty, many companies have spent the last few years focused on survival—restructuring operations, building resilience and navigating crisis after crisis. But now, a new challenge is emerging: undervaluation. 

Across global markets, undervaluation is a striking trend. In the U.S., small-value stocks are trading nearly 25% below their fair value, signalling untapped potential. In Europe, countries like the Netherlands and Denmark show discounts of 10–14%, while even large-cap firms in Germany, France and the UK remain undervalued—particularly in sectors like industrial tech, digital trust, and cybersecurity. Meanwhile, in Asia, many companies—especially in technology, logistics, and industrials—are trading at 40–50% below estimated fair value, despite strong fundamentals and growth prospects.

Why? Because the market doesn’t always see what you see. And that’s not just a financial issue—it’s a strategic one. 

Three Gaps That are Holding you Back 

At the heart of this undervaluation lie three critical gaps: 

The Valuation Gap 

Short-term decisions, reactive strategies, or misunderstood pivots can obscure long-term potential. When the market doesn’t grasp your trajectory, your valuation suffers. 

The Differentiation Gap 

Your value proposition may no longer be clear or compelling. Assets are in place, but the dots aren’t connected. Your competitive edge isn’t obvious—internally or externally. 

The Narrative Gap 

Somewhere along the way, the story of what makes your company exciting, unique, and future-ready has faded. Teams lose clarity. Investors lose confidence. Momentum stalls. 

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s time to take a step back—not to rebrand, but to rethink your Story of Value. 
 

What is a Story of Value? 

This isn’t about marketing claims or slick campaigns. A Story of Value is a strategic narrative that articulates the true, enduring value your company creates—today and tomorrow. It’s a unifying force that aligns leadership, energizes teams and restores market confidence. 

A well-crafted Story of Value: 

• Clarifies what your company is capable of 
• Defines where you can play and how you can win 
• Inspires belief across stakeholders—from boardrooms to frontlines 
• Becomes a catalyst for growth, innovation and cultural transformation 

Why it Matters Now 

Without a sharp, distinctive, and inspiring Story of Value, growth becomes harder. Teams hesitate. Investors question. Opportunities slip away. 

But with it? You unlock a new wave of momentum. You simplify complexity into a compelling, credible, and actionable narrative. You speak a common language that wins in the market. 

What you Gain 

Rewriting your Story of Value often leads to: 

• New growth opportunities you haven’t seen before
• Cultural shifts that align with your future ambitions 
• Brand strategy alignment that supports your next chapter 

How it Works 

The process is both rigorous and inspiring. It includes: 

1. Asset Inventory: A deep dive into your tangible and intangible assets—client-facing capabilities, operational strengths, cultural mindsets and more.
2. Strategic & Messaging Frameworks: A structured methodology to crystallize your Story of Value, grounded in data, co-created with stakeholders, and validated through market testing. 

Depending on your organization’s size and complexity, this journey takes four–12 weeks. We combine classical analysis, stakeholder interviews, co-creation workshops, and proprietary AI tools to ensure a 360° view—inside-out and outside-in. 

The Outcome 

You walk away with more than a story or strategic framework. Working with us will provide you with: 

• A practical, execution-ready strategy 
• A unifying, high-touch leadership experience 
• A renewed sense of purpose and direction 

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In today’s economic climate, businesses are facing a dual challenge: managing financial pressure while still being expected to deliver growth. Market volatility, shifting customer expectations and rapid technological change have made it harder than ever to find clear, actionable paths forward. Many organizations are being asked to do more with less—yet the demand for innovation and transformation has never been higher. 

At Prophet, we’ve seen this tension firsthand. Over the years, we’ve worked closely with C-suite leaders—more and more with CEOs—who are not just looking for incremental improvements, but for bold market-moving strategies. These leaders value our ability to think creatively, act decisively and move quickly. They’ve come to us not just for brand and marketing expertise, but for help answering the big questions:

Where should we play? How do we win? And how do we do it faster than the competition? 

That’s why we’ve formalized our Business Strategy offering. 

While we’ve been doing this work for years, we’re now bringing it to the forefront because the need has never been greater. Our clients are asking for more than traditional consulting. They want a partner who can help them uncover new opportunities, test bold ideas and bring them to market with speed and confidence. 

Growth-Oriented Business Strategy: Where Rigor Meets Imagination 

At Prophet, we craft business strategies that ignite demand swiftly. Whether it’s building new categories, redefining revenue streams or launching innovative ventures or services, we bring a relentless focus on the customer. 

Our approach focuses on identifying high-potential opportunities and developing bold, actionable ideas. We break free from traditional methods, embrace human-centered creativity and harness AI. We seamlessly transition from ‘where to play’ to ‘how to win,’ accelerating speed-to-market and enabling rapid testing and experimentation. 

Prophet is the ideal partner for businesses eager to develop their strategy with a go-to-market mindset. By combining strategic precision with a creative mind and skill set, we quickly uncover actionable pathways to drive sustainable success and competitive advantage. 

Our Business Strategy Offerings 

We help organizations unlock uncommon growth through a suite of interconnected strategy services: 

Story of Value 

Define and articulate the unique value your business delivers—and why it matters now & in the future. 

Future Casting & Scenario Planning 

Explore multiple futures to anticipate change, reduce risk and build resilient strategies.

Growth Landscaping & Opportunity Identification

Map the market, identify white space and prioritize the most promising growth opportunities.

Offer Portfolio Optimization 

Align your products, services and experiences to customer needs and business goals. 

Uncommon Growth Moves 

Identify and execute bold, differentiated strategies that challenge industry norms and unlock new value. 

Business Model Design 

Reimagine how your business creates, delivers and captures value in a rapidly evolving landscape. 

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It’s difficult to decipher exactly when the COVID-19 storm will lift, and while many around the world stare into crystal balls looking for answers on this, I have spent some time speaking to clients, colleagues and friends to understand what the most pertinent shifts surfacing are and how they’re set to impact our future for the better, creating opportunities and – finally – some positivity. Here are my predictions:

1. Collaborating purposefully

Finally, we will understand the full power of remote working technology. Forced into a situation where we have all had to become more experienced in hosting and participating in virtual meetings, we will start to use technology in more positive ways to bring people together. Working remotely will undoubtedly continue to play a large role, but physical interactions and collaborations will become more meaningful, human and special. Ultimately, the collaboration will be less exhausting and more natural, and a boon for both our physical and mental health.

2. New innovative products & services

All companies have had to look at how they protect themselves and their employees, and as a result, many have had to update or even re-invent their business models. It’s because of this we can expect to see exciting new products and services coming out. Products and services that will be considerate and make a value-adding difference in our lives and the new environment we now live in.

3. Flexibility and agility in production

Helping us to act more swiftly and reduce time to market, the untapped potential of production facilities to go beyond their original purpose will be realized. Making us more independent from global supply chains, robots and algorithms, can not only help in crisis situations but also launch innovative new products faster and at a lower price.

“Ultimately, the collaboration will be less exhausting and more natural, and a boon for both our physical and mental health.”

4. Capitalism light

Like the 2008 crisis before, we will see governments intervene with the economy, offering support and becoming shareholders of big corporations. Eventually, society will make its peace with capitalism light and accept that it could in fact be a more sustainable solution, something that is not contrary but could even be healthy for a democratic system.

5. All-in for saving the planet

We fully acknowledge that a slower life, and a slower economy, helps to save our planet. Everyone will be more open to implementing environmentally sustainable measures in their lives – in both the private and corporate sectors. Eco-radicalists will take a back seat as the world aligns around a joint purpose to act responsibly now, and for the generations to come.

6. Healthcare becomes THE place to be

Health is wealth and it’s for that reason that healthcare will become more important than ever. Combined with the opportunities presented by cutting-edge technology, it will be the ultimate destination for investors, but there will also be a noticeable shift as society takes a more vested interest in developments. Modern healthcare will be accessible and fun – not only for a niche set of hipsters but for everyone. People will be much more willing to divulge information for individual data collection and analysis to make healthcare even better.

7. Local communities becoming our new comfort zone

Local communities support us, and we support the community in return. We will have stronger relationships with our local shops and will again enjoy the quality of their products, the people behind those businesses, and be willing to pay premium prices for their produce and products.

8. Lower social pressure

Feelings of FOMO (Fear of missing out) will be a thing of the past as appreciation for time alone and/or with few close relatives or friends increases. JOMO (Joy of missing out) will become a reality and introverts will – for the first time – have more energy than extroverts. Intimate events will see a significant increase in demand and mass tourism, which has disturbingly plagued many destinations for so long, will finally die.

9. Feeling of togetherness & need for higher love

We see it everywhere at the moment, people selflessly leaning in where they can. Considering the magnitude of this crisis, the joint helplessness of nations has also brought with it a feeling of togetherness: a united front. The need and appreciation for higher love from families, friends and businesses is sticky and staying with us.

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