Context
The Situation
A global-scale US portable sanitation manufacturer needed to enter Singapore. They assumed a traditional distributor channel existed and planned to find one local partner to handle sales, service, and logistics.
Constraint
The Challenge
Singapore has no distributor channel for this category. The market structure the client assumed simply doesn't exist. Without this intelligence, the client would have arrived with no viable path to market and no qualified partners to meet.
Approach
What Ewan Did
A structured, intelligence-led approach, from first contact to a fully coordinated two-day Singapore visit with four qualified partners ready to meet the client.
- 01
Contacted 23 companies across Singapore and the region.
- 02
Two in-depth consultations with veterans with 26 and 20+ years' experience.
- 03
Shifted from distributor search to a local sales representative model.
- 04
Mapped Chinese brands' gaps: no local support, no spare parts and two-week delivery.
- 05
Found a Malaysia logistics partner offering 1–2 day delivery with credit terms.
- 06
Recommended premium Trailer Toilets - no strong Chinese competitor in this segment.
- 07
Identified four qualified partners across four distinct market roles.
- 08
All four partners met the client during a seamless two-day Singapore visit.
Outcome
Results
01 - Partners & Visit
- Four qualified partners were found; the original ask was one. The client met all four during a seamless two-day Singapore visit.
- An exclusive sales representative was identified with 26 years in the market and zero competing brands.
02 - Market Position
- The client is on track to become the first Western brand with spare parts stocked locally in Singapore.
- A strategic Malaysia logistics partner was engaged, offering 1–2 day delivery and credit terms - unmatched by Chinese competitors.
03 - Strategic Insight
- A granular competitive picture was delivered.
- Singapore and Malaysia were reframed as one unified market.
- The first container shipment is targeting July 2026.
Client Testimonial
“We went into Singapore assuming a distributor network existed. Ewan told us it didn't, and delivered four qualified alternatives before we landed. The market intelligence changed how we're thinking about the entire region.”