— SERVICES
/
Evidence & Assessment
/
Digital and Commercial Diligence
Digital and
Commercial Diligence
A rigorous, data-driven view of commercial risk and upside – we assess how effectively the target acquires and retains customers and where it has competitive advantage. By evaluating digital marketing effectiveness, unit economics and growth drivers, we identify actions required to de-risk the deal and accelerate value creation.
Evidence-driven
Data-driven insights grounded in digital analytics, primary research and commercial performance.
Practitioner-led
Delivered by digital channel experts and experienced commercial consultants.
Opportunity focused
We surface actionable growth and value creation
opportunities grounded in real-world delivery experience.
Evidence-driven
Data-driven insights grounded in digital analytics, primary research and commercial performance.
Practitioner-led
Delivered by digital channel experts and experienced commercial consultants.
Opportunity focused
We surface actionable growth and value creation opportunities grounded in real-world delivery experience.
WHAT WE DELIVER
Data-driven insights to evidence or challenge a target’s future growth story
We combine commercial and digital due diligence to rigorously stress-test a target’s growth story and execution capability, providing an evidence-led view of market headroom, competitive right to win, and the scalability of its customer acquisition and retention engine.
We assess the viability of the business plan in the context of historic performance, market trends and customer and competitor dynamics. We evaluate what aspects of the plan are achievable or more challenging and provide actionable recommendations to mitigate risks and accelerate opportunities.
WHAT WE DO
Integrated digital and commercial diligence to test key investment theses
Key questions to evaluate technology capability and its role in achieving commercial goals.
Market and
Competition
What is the market headroom / acceleration potential and is the target aligned to market opportunities?
What is the target’s digital market share and where does it win/ lose vs peers?
Which segments have the highest level of competitor threat and where is the low-hanging fruit?
Customer and
Route to Market
What drives customer loyalty and positive brand sentiment and what is the typical customer journey in this space?
How important is brand to drive demand and how strong is the target’s brand awareness vs peers?
What is the target’s channel mix and GTM strategy vs competitor?
Marketing Capability
and Performance
Is the customer aquisition, conversion and retention engine efficent and scalable?
How sustainable unit economics and where are the opportunities for growth?
Are digital enablers such as team and tooling appropriate to deliver on strategy?
OUR APPROACH
Data-driven, practitioner-led diligence at pace
Our data-driven, practitioner-led approach provides actionable, growth-focussed insights to support PE and corporate M&A teams throughout the investment cycle.
01
Origination
Our short, sharp, sector-based ‘search & screen’ process will identify and prioritise potential acquisition targets based on clients’ unique buy-and-build parameters. Our proprietary, data-driven methodology provides you with a long-list and short-list of identified potential targets alongside relevant digital and commercial metrics.
02
Early-Stage Diligence
Palladium’s outside-in assessment of commercial capability, digital performance and brand strength vs the market and direct competitors provides an early, qualified view on a target’s ‘right to win’. It gives clients an edge in exclusivity negotiations whilst also allowing for early detection of potential red flags.
03
Full Buy-Side Due Diligence
An evidence-led view of a target’s performance and growth potential from a digital and commercial perspective. We assess the strength of the customer acquisition and retention engine in the context of market and competitor dynamics, testing the credibility of the business plan and surfacing key risks and upside opportunities.
04
Exit Preparation
Our Vendor Due Diligence provides investor-facing analyses of the digital and commercial capabilities and opportunities of a business. We articulate a company’s future growth story vs the market and its competitor set, anticipating questions from prospective buyers.
SECTOR EXPERIENCE
Sector-agnostic, with deep experience assessing businesses where digital performance drive commercial success
Consumer Products
D2C / Ecommerce / Marketplaces
Consumer Services
Regional / multisite dynamics
Business Services
Financial Services
Software & Technology
RELATED SERVICES
Evidence & Assessment
Technology & AI Diligence
A clear, investor-grade view of technology and AI capability – we tell you how strong the foundations really are, and whether technology and operating models can scale to deliver on the commercial strategy.
Growth Strategy & Market Intelligence
We use proprietary primary research, including expert interviews, customer panels and market mapping, to get underneath the generic view and build the specific, first-hand evidence needed to answer the growth question in front of you.
Commercial Strategy
For private equity-backed businesses, these are fast, low-risk routes to margin – and too often missed. We use customer and market evidence to sharpen the commercial choices that lift revenue and margin: where to play, how to win, and what to change now.
Director
Transaction Advisory
SPEAK TO OUR EXPERT
Jill-Marit Lerum Cornes
Director, Transaction Advisory
Jill-Marit has 15+ years’ experience in buy- and sell-side due diligence and strategy consulting. She leads Palladium’s Digital and Commercial diligence proposition, including AI risk and opportunity market reviews. Her sector expertise spans consumer and retail, technology, professional services, and health and life sciences.
jill-marit.cornes@palladiumdigital.co.uk
+44 (0) 203 882 8567
Contact us
Every engagement starts with understanding what you’re actually trying to achieve. Not a pitch deck. A conversation.