katch strategy& research

this section describes the boundaries of the market and how they were set. it records what counts as the market within the project, which adjacent categories are excluded and why.

size is estimated in two independent ways: top-down, from total category demand, and bottom-up, from the sum of participants’ turnover. the gap between the estimates is shown openly and explained, not smoothed over. if the gap exceeds a quarter, a third estimate based on indirect indicators is given.

the market structure is broken down into segments. segmentation is based not on price as such, but on the occasion of purchase and on what the buyer uses instead of the product when it is unavailable. for each segment the section describes the buyer profile, purchase frequency, price sensitivity and the barrier that keeps a new participant out of the segment.

the dynamics over recent periods are recorded separately, along with the points where they changed direction. each such point comes with an explanation: seasonality, a regulatory change, a new participant, a shift in behaviour.

the section ends with a capacity estimate for each segment and a conclusion on which segments can be entered without changing the product, which require adjustments and which are closed.

sources are listed in the appendix, calculations are in a separate file with formulas.

this section sets out the brand’s core meaning and the rules for applying it.

first, it records which buyer question the brand answers and how that answer differs from competitors’ answers. the statement is tested by substitution: if it could apply to any participant in the category without losing meaning, it is not positioning and is rewritten.

next, the brand’s character is described. character is defined by a set of traits, each with an opposite that the brand deliberately does not choose. traits without an opposite are discarded as empty.

the value proposition is broken down into three levels: what the product does, what this gives the buyer and what it changes in their situation. each level is backed by proof from the product, not from a promise.

offer architecture describes how the range is built: which items are essential, which are seasonal, and which exist for the sake of the assortment and should not be judged by turnover.

the rules of use describe how to check any new decision against the platform. they are written so that someone who was not involved in developing them can use them.

the section comes with a one-spread summary for the team’s day-to-day work.

this section describes what the brand talks about, where and how.

communication territories are areas of meaning in which the brand has the right to speak. each territory has a theme, a body of evidence, examples of acceptable statements and a boundary beyond which a statement is no longer appropriate.

messaging architecture sorts claims into levels: the main claim, supporting claims, functional claims. for each level it records where a claim is used and where it must not be used.

channel roles describe why each channel is needed and what task it performs. channels that duplicate each other are merged or closed. each channel has a format, a frequency and a measure by which results are judged.

tone of voice is defined by two lists: acceptable and unacceptable. the lists are built on examples, not adjectives. register, typical constructions and the approach to humour, direct speech and formal address are described separately.

the activity plan distributes statements across periods and ties them to product events.

the section is designed to be handed to a contractor without further explanation.

this section turns the core meaning into a set of creative decisions.

creative territories describe the material statements are built from: which images, situations, cultural references and visual devices belong to the brand and which are foreign to it. each territory shows an example of execution and an example of the same territory done wrong.

campaign concepts are described not in words but through the link between occasion, message and form. each concept states which territory it relies on, which channels it uses and what counts as a sign that it has worked.

visual direction sets the approach to framing, light, texture, the presence of people and how the product is shown. the direction is expressed through constraints, because constraints carry over from one contractor to another and inspiration does not.

launch concepts describe how a new product appears: the sequence of statements, the role of anticipation, the moment of reveal and what happens after.

collaboration and activation ideas are given as a list with an assessment of applicability: what is required for execution, what resources are needed and what result is expected.

the section comes with references, each noting what exactly was taken from it.

this section describes how the product reaches the buyer and what that requires.

customer discovery is built on analysing scenarios: in what situation the need arises, how it is met now and what prevents it from being met in the proposed way. scenarios are tested against real observations, not assumptions.

service or product range architecture describes what the offer consists of, the boundaries of each item and the rules by which items combine.

the pricing model comes with scenarios. each scenario states volume, cost, markup and the point at which the model stops working. scenarios are calculated so that they can be recalculated when the inputs change.

channel and partner selection criteria are formalised: what is required, what is desirable, what disqualifies. the criteria are applied equally to all candidates.

the first-steps roadmap describes the sequence of actions with cost and timeline estimates. each step states what counts as its completion and what condition must be met before moving to the next.

the section ends with a list of risks, each with a probability estimate and a response.

this section describes the order in which the project is carried out.

the work is divided into stages. each stage is closed separately: the result is handed to the client, the acceptance certificate and report are signed, and the work then moves to the next stage. a single stage can be commissioned as standalone work with no continuation.

the first stage gathers inputs and carries out research. the second forms the strategic frame. the third builds the communication system. the fourth assembles the model and scenarios. the fifth brings the results together and hands them over for use.

each stage takes 2–3 weeks, the last one is shorter. a full project takes eight to fourteen weeks in total, provided the source data is handed over on time.

the price of each stage includes one round of revisions. revisions are accepted as a single list. scattered comments during the stage are not taken into account.

at the start, the client provides data on the product or range, anonymised customer base data, a list of markets and competitors, access to analytics and contacts of the staff involved. the deadline for handover is five working days from the start of the stage.

a delay in handing over source data moves the stage deadline by the same period.

this section describes the form in which materials are delivered.

text documents are delivered in docx and pdf. tables and calculations in xlsx with formulas preserved. presentations in pptx and pdf. diagrams and maps in miro or figma with view access, and in pdf for the archive.

all materials are delivered electronically. each file carries a version and a date. versions are not overwritten, the history is kept.

documents are laid out to uniform rules: section numbering runs throughout, figures and tables are numbered separately, every figure is referenced in the text. sources are listed at the end of the document.

calculations are delivered so that they can be reproduced: input values are separated from formulas, assumptions are placed on a separate sheet and labelled.

editable formats keep a structure that lets the client make changes on their own: heading styles, table of contents, linked tables.

working languages are russian and english. when working in both languages, both versions are delivered and no discrepancies between them are allowed.

rights to use the materials are transferred to the extent set out in the contract.

this section collects materials that support the content of the report but are not part of the main text.

the list of sources gives the date each was accessed. sources are divided into public, industry and client data. every claim in the main text can be traced to a source.

the calculation methodology describes how the quantitative estimates were obtained: which formulas were used, which assumptions were made and how the robustness of the result was tested. assumptions are listed explicitly, including those that could not be verified.

source data tables are given in the form in which they were used in the calculations, without intermediate processing.

fieldwork materials, if fieldwork was carried out, include the discussion guide, the questionnaire, the sample composition and raw responses in anonymised form.

the list of hypotheses considered and rejected gives the reason for each rejection. this avoids returning to them.

the glossary fixes the meaning of terms within the project so that all participants understand them the same way.

it ends with a list of the study’s limitations: what remained outside the scope of the work and which conclusions cannot be drawn from the data collected.