Wine Auction
NDA
Context
While at the agency, I was involved in a strategic research project supporting the launch of a new global online auction platform. The goal was to help the team make informed product and go-to-market decisions by deeply analyzing competitor strategies, business models, and audience behaviors across niche and broad-spectrum auction categories.
The insights informed core decisions around platform functionality, monetization models, and market prioritization — laying the foundation for a confident and data-backed entry into a highly competitive market.
Strategy
We didn’t just audit competitors — we decoded how the market actually works.
This project went beyond surface-level benchmarking. We zoomed out to examine global auction dynamics — from buyer and seller behavior to business models, monetization approaches, category strengths, and regional trends.
My role was to identify:
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Which segments were saturated — and where whitespace lived
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How behavior differed between broad vs. niche auction platforms
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What truly builds trust in high-value digital transactions
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Where platform and product strategies had blind spots we could avoid
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We reframed the challenge from “launching a new auction platform” to “designing a smarter entry into a fragmented, loyalty-light, and opportunity-rich market.”
Delivery
The depth and breadth of research became the foundation for a confident, insight-led launch strategy. I translated fragmented global signals into clear, structured decision-making tools for product, marketing, and leadership teams.
Key outcomes included:
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A strategic landscape map: key players (broad & niche), product categories, and regional strengths
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Segmentation by audience behavior, loyalty dynamics, and whitespace opportunities
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Analysis of business and monetization models across 20+ platforms — highlighting risk, upside, and market expectations
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A feature-value matrix identifying must-haves vs. opportunity zones
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Emotional and rational drivers mapped across the user journey to inform value creation
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Visual synthesis of user flows, platform archetypes, and differentiation models
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Strategic narratives to guide positioning, focus, and monetization strategy
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Alignment tools to help product, marketing, and leadership rally around shared priorities
These deliverables equipped the client team with a clear, insight-driven foundation to move forward with confidence — prioritizing markets, features and experiences that deliver the most value, without overbuilding or overextending.