Beyond Business Basics at the Base-of-the-Pyramid: The Perspectives of Multinational Corporations

Abstract

This paper is a collaborative effort between the academia and industry practitioners serving in the Base-of-the-Pyramid (BOP) segment in emerging markets. It focuses on understanding the key success factors and challenges that multinational corporations (MNCs) face in their BOP ventures. Different from other work on BOP markets, this paper primarily focuses on in-depth understanding of MNCs’ learning in the BOP field, and how MNCs are using the learning to further engage with the BOP consumers in order to generate greater success in their ventures. This papers aims to enhance further learning about BOP ventures both among the academia and industry practitioners. Several themes emerged from the in-depth qualitative interviews with industrial experts in the BOP segments: (1) the need for quality consumer research, (2) the capability to standardize core technology, (3) understanding BOP brand value, (4) communicating brand value to BOP consumers, (5) leveraging technological leapfrogging capabilities at the BOP markets; (6) creating access and distribution capabilities and (7) assessing and minimizing environmental impact.

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