Amidst the competitive landscape of the Asia-Pacific consumer goods market, the narrative has often focused on insurgent brands disrupting established incumbents. However, a recent Bain & Company’s analysis of 23 consumer product categories across 11 Asia-Pacific markets (from 2018 to 2022) paints a more complex picture.

The report, entitled “Resilience Amid Disruption: How Some Asia-Pacific Incumbents Are Outmanoeuvring Insurgents”, challenges the conventional view, revealing how incumbent brands are not just surviving but thriving by blending traditional strengths with insurgent tactics.

The findings delve into the strategic responses that enabled these incumbents to maintain or grow their market share despite rising competition, which we explore with Zara Lightowler, Associate Partner at Bain & Company. Among other things, we dive into the importance of channel dynamics, localisation, M&A and ecosystem scanning, and much more.