Competitive Edge was engaged in May this year to conduct independent, impartial, evidence- based research on what the impact of the current liquidation of Timbercorp would have on the investors who had, in many cases, invested their life savings and even mortgaged their house.

Because of the mature age of many of these investors, it would be impossible for them to realise a replacement of capital because they were no longer in the workforce through retirement or choice, and in most cases the maturity of their age prevented them from being able to reap rewards and recover lost capital.

Without going into the specifics of the research brief, Competitive Edge was able to analyse, through an online survey of well over 1,000 affected investors, their ability to pay back funds to the ANZ bank through the liquidator, and the extent to which they could manage these payments in the future without losing their house or large amounts of capital investment that would create pressure on their current and future standard of living.

The research information was cross-analysed and tabulated, and various scenarios where produced that were useful in creating pressure on the parties and Federal Government to open the Timbercorp liquidation and processes that had underpinned investment and current ANZ bank activity and approaches to investors.

There is currently a Senate inquiry.

Competitive Edge was able to measure it for our client, they were able to manage the situation with greater confidence and better detailed information. This allowed them to measure their current position, and to take action to manage it on behalf of investors to achieve a better outcome and negotiation position.

Professional, properly formalised and developed insightful market research that provides evidence-based results allows organisations and groups to measure and manage, because if they can’t measure demand trends, competitive threats, image, distribution, price perception, etc., then how can you manage it?

In addition, if your opposition or competition measure, through evidence-based research and you are not measuring the important and critical success strategies and parameters, then your competitive edge or comparative advantage in the short and long term, will disappear.