Tools & Frameworks
Tools & frameworks
One toolbox behind every program and engagement
The Market Edge B2B toolbox is a set of practical, linked tools for strategic marketing, pricing, product launches and key account management. The same tools run through every Academy program, company academy, assessment and consulting project, so teams share one marketing language and can keep using what they learned.
“Market Edge's strategic frameworks and tools have been an instrumental resource for our strategic marketing team for years.”
Kraton
Used in everything we do
The tools are not an add-on. They are how our programs and projects are structured.
Academy programs
Every open program is built around a set of tools participants take home.
Learn more →Company academies
Each client gets a customized toolbox, with examples from its own markets.
Learn more →Consulting projects
The same tools structure our analysis, so the client team can repeat it.
Learn more →Capability assessments
Assessments test whether people can apply the concepts behind the tools.
Learn more →The commercial excellence framework
22 core tools in four stages
Each stage answers one question. Tools are linked, so the output of one becomes the input to the next: market maps feed segmentation, segmentation feeds value propositions, and value feeds price.
Stage 1
Market understanding
Where is the market going, and where will growth come from?
- Market Map →Size each application, technology and competitor, with growth and share by cell.
- TAM / SAM / SOM →Separate the total market from the share you can serve and realistically win.
- PEST analysis →Track the political, economic, social and technology drivers behind demand.
- Five Forces →Judge how attractive and profitable a market is likely to stay.
- Value Chain →See who buys, who decides and who captures value from supplier to end user.
- Risk Analysis and VUCA →Map the probability and impact of risks for scenario planning.
Stage 2
Customer understanding
Which customers should we focus on, and what do they value?
- Needs-based segmentation →Group customers by what they need, not just by size or industry.
- Critical Purchase Criteria →Identify the criteria that decide a purchase in each segment.
- Customer Journey Map →Follow the customer's activity cycle to find pain points and workarounds.
- Influencer Map →Map who influences the decision, from users to consultants and the channel.
- Targeting tool →Compare segments or applications on attractiveness and ability to win.
Stage 3
Offer and value proposition
Why should the target customer choose us?
- Competitive Assessment →Score your offer against competitors on the purchase criteria that matter.
- Value Creation →Quantify the economic value your offer creates against the next-best alternative.
- Value Proposition builder →Turn value into a clear proposition for each segment and stakeholder.
- Right to Win →Test whether you can win a new opportunity before committing resources.
- Product lifecycle and portfolio →Review products on growth, share and margin to decide where to invest.
Stage 4
Implementation
How do we capture the value and track results?
- Value Map →Compare perceived performance and price with competitors, and set the price position.
- Price Change Analysis →Model how competitors and customers are likely to react to a price move.
- Transactional pricing →Find discount and rebate leakage in transaction data.
- Launch and campaign plan →Plan touchpoints, messages and timing for a launch or seasonal campaign.
- Key Account Plan →Build a forward plan with each strategic account.
- Opportunity assessment and NPV →Score innovation ideas and model their financial case before R&D starts.
New in 2026
Eight new strategic marketing tools and an updated interface
The master B2B toolbox now includes eight new strategic marketing tools and an updated user interface, designed for faster development and easier sharing of key concepts across teams.
See what's newQ4Client-specific examples embedded across the Strategic Marketing and Sales toolboxes
AIAI-native integrations, including direct compatibility with Claude, for competitive assessment and value quantification
Q4New frameworks for post-acquisition integration and AI-enabled procurement
New[Names of the eight new 2026 tools]
Four ways to use the toolbox
Applied Learning Program
Up to 20 participants learn the strategic marketing process and apply about 18 concepts and tools to an agreed project: two webinars, a 2.5-day in-person workshop, then coaching until every plan reaches good practice.
Customized toolbox
Tools tailored to your markets, terms and templates, and licensed across business units so every team plans the same way.
Tool license
Annual or semi-annual access to individual tools or the full toolbox, with short onboarding webinars and support.
90-day trial access
Temporary access to specific tools so a team can use them on a live plan before deciding anything bigger.
What we hear from clients
Paraphrased and anonymized from recent conversations with marketing and commercial leaders.
“I used your tools years ago as a marketing analyst. I don't have them in my new role, and I've missed them.”
“I used the tools for my marketing strategy and tactics review with leadership, and everything was approved.”
“We still use the pricing tools. They meet our needs. What we want now is better value proposition and market analysis.”
“The tools exist, but newer team members don't know them, so usage across the team is uneven.”
Frameworks make AI output trustworthy
AI can fill a framework with data in minutes. The framework is what makes the result comparable, debatable and decision-ready, and our consultants coach teams on using it well.
AI fills in
Framework and consultant provide
Market size and growth data
Structure, definitions and logic
Competitor information
Which criteria matter to customers
First-draft analysis
Challenge, judgement and decision
Free tools and brochure
Free download
Value Creation Tool
Quantify the value your offer creates for a target customer against the next-best alternative.
Download →Free download
Competitive Assessment Tool
Score your offer and competitors on the purchase criteria customers weigh most.
Download →Brochure
Tools & Frameworks brochure
The full toolbox, stage by stage, with examples.
Download →On the live site each download uses its own HubSpot form (Value Creation Tool, Competitive Assessment Tool, Tools brochure) so requests can be followed up by topic.
Questions about the tools
What are Market Edge tools built in?
Most tools are Excel-based, so teams can use them without new software. They need Excel 2010 or later; some specialized add-ins can stop the custom ribbon from loading.
Can the toolbox be customized for our company?
Yes. Many clients have their own toolbox, with their terminology, templates and market examples, renewed each year.
Can we license tools without a training program?
Yes. Tool-only licenses are available annually or semi-annually, with short onboarding webinars. Most teams get more from the tools when they apply them in a workshop first.
Can we try the tools before committing?
Yes. Teams can take 90-day access to specific tools and use them on a live plan.
What changed in 2026?
The master B2B toolbox added eight new strategic marketing tools and an updated user interface, and the tools are now linked so data flows from one to the next instead of being re-entered.
How do the tools work with AI?
AI can gather data to fill a tool quickly. The framework keeps the analysis structured and comparable, and a person still checks the inputs and decides what the result means.
Used our tools before?
Tell us where you are now. We can restore access, show you what is new, or build a toolbox for your new team.