The Boston Consulting Group continues to score highly on differentiation. The heavy involvement of subject matter
experts in the thought leadership process leads to the firm addressing issues that others aren’t considering (see, for
example, Battling overcapacity in container shipping and Capturing retail growth in Brazil’s rising interior). This expertise
is evident not just in the topics picked but also in the detailed analysis (often of secondary data) that brings fresh insights
to the reader.
The firm’s average score has dropped this time due to a number of pieces that address topics other firms have written
much about, such as retail banking and the role of the CIO. In lower-scoring pieces, there is a little too much reliance on
’our view’ and not enough data to convince the reader that this view is actually the right one, nor is there enough detail
about what the reader ought to be doing differently. Where there is less of substance to write about, it would be better to
create an engaging blog-style article clearly written by a specific expert from The Boston Consulting Group.