The competitor analysis was conducted to understand the attitudes, behaviours and interactions of the of payment landscape within the region. It provided a clear picture, helping us identify key players, trends, assess market gaps, and evaluate potential opportunities for differentiation.

After the competitor analysis laid the foundation, I conducted an ethnographic study across Germany to gain deeper insights into SMEs' daily pain points and opportunities. By observing SME owners' interactions with customers and businesses, and conducting informal interviews, I identified key selling strategies and challenges in adopting digital payments. The study revealed that trust and familiarity were major barriers, highlighting the need for tailored support to help SMEs embrace online payments in the German market.

During the ethnographic study a series of Qualitative interviews were conducted. Here this identified that awkward interactions between business owners and customers significantly hindered the adoption of card payments. Many owners felt uncomfortable due to their lack of knowledge about card systems, contributing to their hesitance to accept this payment method. End customers shared this discomfort, and without business owners gaining confidence in accepting cards, the situation is unlikely to improve.

Rather than just send a deck out to execs and the wider team. I facilitated a workshop that took the team through the story of SMEs within Germany. Following the presentation I set up the room for an ideation workshop in Germany. With the focus on exploring potential solutions, leveraging insights gained from my findings on customer and business owner interactions. This set the foundation in which spanned marketing campaigns, building new digital products and hosting SME specific events.