ThoughtWorks (A)

ThoughtWorks, a medium-sized IT systems integrator, was growing quickly but identified “lack of clear positioning around which to build a brand” as the biggest impediment to continued growth. The company had identified features that they believed differentiated them from their competitors and was considering alternative segments to target. Students are asked to choose a target and develop a positioning statement for that target. They are also asked to identify the assumptions underlying their recommended positioning strategy and suggest how market research could help establish the validity of those assumptions.