A major Japanese chemical manufacturer had developed an acrylic water-borne emulsion primer for self-leveling concrete that offered strong adhesion, waterproofing, resistance to hot and cold conditions and a formulation free of volatile organic compounds. The company wanted to know whether the United States, the largest construction market in the world, could be its next step. It had no direct experience of the US market: who buys primers, what they pay, which certifications matter, how contractors judge an unfamiliar brand, and whether a Japanese product should arrive under its own name or through a partner. The company asked PP&A for a voice-of-customer study to answer those questions and to test its product concept with the people who would specify, stock and apply it.
PP&A designed a qualitative voice-of-customer study built around a six-part interview guide: the respondent's role and projects, current primer practices and pain points, a concept test of the new primer, regional and regulatory considerations, usage volumes and pricing, and closing advice. In December 2024 the team conducted five in-depth interviews with experts across the US self-leveling value chain: a general manager at a construction supply distributor, a quality and process leader from a primer manufacturer, a former procurement manager and a senior materials specialist at large general contractors, and a senior construction manager at a major builder. PP&A synthesized the interviews into a report covering US construction trends, the players who influence primer purchases, the size and drivers of the self-leveling primer market, pricing and purchasing behavior, market entry strategies and the outlook under the incoming administration.
The report gave the manufacturer a buyer's view of a market it had never sold into. It described where self-leveling concrete is used and where demand is growing, estimated the size and growth of the US primer market, and mapped who buys primers and who influences the choice. It set out how buyers judged the concept, which product claims and certifications carry weight with them, how they order and what they pay, and the practical concerns a Japanese newcomer would face.
PP&A closed with the entry options open to the manufacturer and the considerations behind each, and with the market shifts to expect after the 2024 election. The study gave the company a grounded basis for deciding whether, and how, to bring the primer to the United States.
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