Marketcreating

Marketcreating is a strategic process in which firms or organizations deliberately develop new markets by unlocking latent demand, shaping consumer value, and building the ecosystems necessary for adoption. It focuses on expanding the size of the market itself rather than simply competing within an existing market. Marketcreating efforts often address unmet or under served needs and transform how products or services are perceived, accessed, and financed.

Key mechanisms include identifying noncustomers who could become buyers, designing a whole-product offering that solves practical and social barriers, and coordinating with partners such as suppliers, distributors, financial institutions, and regulators. Price design, accessible distribution, clear value communication, and supportive policy environments are typically integral. The approach may combine product innovation with business-model changes, such as pay-as-you-go pricing, bundled services, or interoperability standards that ease adoption. Successful marketcreating builds trust, reduces perceived risk, and creates a scalable network of users and providers that sustain demand growth.

Examples often cited include mobile money in East Africa, where cultural, technological, and regulatory innovations created a new financial market for the previously unbanked, supported by merchant networks and partnerships with banks and regulators. Another example is off-grid solar with pay-as-you-go models that unlock energy access in rural areas by tying credit, installation, and maintenance into a single customer experience.

Critics note that marketcreating can require substantial upfront investment and face regulatory or cultural barriers, with uncertain returns. Its success depends on aligning customer value with ecosystem capabilities and policy context.