Market Share Analysis Tool – Tailwinds and Headwinds Calculations

Market share analysis helps companies understand how their performance evolves relative to the market and across different segments. The Market Share Analysis Tool is an Excel model designed to help teams analyze segments, identify tailwinds and headwinds, and understand the drivers behind market share changes and growth dynamics.

A clear and deep understanding of the market environment and evolving trends provides invaluable insight into business activities and competitive dynamics. By examining how markets grow or decline across segments, companies can identify growth opportunities, evaluate competitive positioning, and support strategic investment decisions.

The proposed Excel model with macros facilitates market trend analysis and comparative assessments by keeping all market and company data in a single Excel file. Teams can easily select scope, drill down into data, and display results through graphs, including tailwinds and headwinds calculations for any segment configuration.

Learn more about tailwinds and headwinds.

Designed for professional use, this product is available in three versions, varying based on the number of segment slicers available:

  • Single-Segment version: Includes one slicer, allowing data to be filtered along a single axis for segmentation.
  • Two-Segments version: Includes two slicers, allowing for multiple segment selections, for instance across regions and P&L.
  • Four-Segments version: Includes four slicers, allowing for multiple segment selections, for instance region, countries, P&L, and sub-modalities.

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Price range: €35.00 through €117.00 Exc. VAT

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What Is Market Share Analysis?

Market share analysis helps companies understand how their performance compares with the overall market and with competitors. By measuring the proportion of total market volume captured by a company, teams can assess whether growth results from stronger competitive positioning or from broader market dynamics.

However, market share alone does not always explain performance. Markets evolve continuously: some segments grow rapidly while others stagnate or decline. These structural changes create tailwinds and headwinds that influence overall market share development.

Analyzing these dynamics allows organizations to better understand where growth originates, which segments drive performance, and how market evolution affects strategic positioning.

Why Market Share Analysis Matters for Strategy

Market share is often used as a simple indicator of competitive strength. Yet this indicator can sometimes hide important structural effects.

A company may gain market share simply because the segments where it is strongest are expanding faster than others. Conversely, a company can execute well and still lose share if it operates in segments that are shrinking.

Analyzing tailwinds and headwinds helps distinguish these situations. By comparing market growth across segments with company positioning, teams can determine whether performance is driven by competitive strength or by favorable market structure.

These insights are particularly valuable when evaluating investment priorities, portfolio choices, and long-term market opportunities.

Prefer a quick visual overview before exploring the features?

Key Features of the Market Share Analysis Tool

Dynamic Excel Slicers for Market Data

Analyze the market by date (year, quarter, month) and by segments using Excel slicers.

Filter data dynamically to focus on specific market segments or time periods.

Tailwinds and Headwinds Calculations

Calculate tailwinds and headwinds for any segment configuration.

Understand the impact of market growth or decline on your market share.

Market Share Visualization

Visualize market share trends and growth drivers with customizable graphs.

Compare market share across segments to identify opportunities and risks.

Multiple Versions for Flexibility

Single-Segment Version: Filter data along a single axis.

Two-Segments Version: Select segments across two dimensions (for example regions and P&L).

Four-Segments Version: Analyze data across four dimensions (for example region, countries, P&L, sub-modalities).

How to Use the Tool

Enter Your Data
Use the dedicated data entry tab to input market and company data.

Select Segments and Dates
Use Excel slicers to filter data by segments and time periods.

Analyze Tailwinds and Headwinds
Review the calculated tailwinds and headwinds for each segment.

Visualize Results
Use the graphs to visualize market share trends and growth drivers.

Use Cases

Market Share Growth Analysis

Analyze market share trends to identify growth opportunities and risks.

Use tailwinds and headwinds calculations to understand market dynamics.

Segment-Level Insights

Compare market share across different segments to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Use the tool to guide investment decisions and strategic planning.

Advanced Features

Data Selection

Select the number of lines for the table between 2 and 100.

Erase all input data or only non-visible data as needed.

Update names for axes and table legends.

Graph Customization

Show or hide names on graph bubbles.

Adjust bubble text size and relative bubble size.

Display horizontal and vertical axis values on graph bubbles.

Color Schemes

Set colors for bubbles by category or individually.

Copy and save bubble color codes for consistency.

Metrics Display

For the selection of dates and segments, the table is created dynamically by simply changing slicer selections (or pressing F9 if the tool is set to manual calculations).

For each segment and the two selected time periods, the following metrics are displayed:

  • Segment: list of selected segments per slicer
  • Market Past: market total for the segment in the past period
  • Company Past: company total for the segment in the past period
  • Share Past: market share percentage in the past period
  • % Market Past: share of the total market represented by the segment
  • Market Current: market total for the segment in the current period
  • Market Growth %: market growth between periods
  • Company Current: company total in the current period
  • Company Growth %: company growth between periods
  • Share Current: market share percentage in the current period
  • % Market Current: segment share of the total market
  • Share Gain/Loss: change in market share between periods
  • Contribution to Headwinds/Tailwinds: segment impact on total market share change

The total for selected segments is displayed above the table. The table can accommodate up to 510 lines of segment metrics, summing all displayed segments and calculating total tailwinds and headwinds.

When rows are filtered, totals automatically adjust and graphs display only visible lines from the first 19 rows of results.

Headwinds and Tailwinds in Market Share Analysis

This metric represents the market share gain or loss resulting from market growth or decline across segments.

Positive value: indicates tailwinds supporting total market share growth.

Negative value: indicates headwinds due to market mix effects negatively impacting total market share gain.

Tailwinds and headwinds are calculated by determining what the total market share would be if the company maintained the same share in each segment as in the past period while market volumes change to their current levels.

This approach reveals whether a company is positioned more strongly in faster-growing segments or in segments experiencing slower growth or decline.

Graphs

Seven graphs are available, each configurable to display different metrics.

One graph is located on the Results tab, while six additional graphs are located in a dedicated Graphs tab.

The graphs use two-axis XY bubble charts, providing flexibility for visual analysis.

Users can dynamically select:

  • X-axis values from twelve metrics
  • Y-axis values from twelve metrics
  • Bubble size from eight metrics

Buttons allow toggling information such as names, axis values, and bubble values.

These graphs support different storytelling perspectives, for example:

  • Market segments as a function of growth or decline
  • Company positioning relative to segment growth
  • Company share gain or loss across segments

Metrics Calculation Details

Two periods can be selected to compare data. Each period is defined using three slicers, allowing flexible definitions such as year, quarter, or month.

Additional slicers enable the selection of market segments.

The three versions of the tool differ only by segmentation capabilities:

Single-Segment Version: One slicer selecting all segments defined in the dataset.

Two-Segments Version: Two slicers allowing combinations such as region and product line.

Four-Segments Version: Four slicers enabling hierarchical segmentation such as region, country, P&L, and modality.

In multi-segment versions, slicers can be hidden except for one, allowing aggregation of all underlying segments.

Data Entry

Data is entered through a dedicated tab to prevent accidental modification while exploring results and graphs.

Data can be progressively added over time, and results refresh automatically using the Refresh All button.

Dates are entered using three slicers (year, quarter, month). Multiple fields may be used within a slicer, allowing different period definitions.

Market and company fields must contain numeric values representing market volume. Market share is calculated as the ratio of company volume over market volume.

If descriptions are missing or non-numeric values are entered, an error message prompts correction.

Additional Information

For users who wish to display both orders and sales data in the same file, one segment slicer may be used to separate orders from sales. However, comparing orders and sales is often better addressed using waterfall analysis.

Comparing competitors on the same graph is generally not recommended because data quality for one’s own company is typically much more accurate than for competitors. When competitor analysis is needed, a segment slicer can be used to select competitors individually.

Maintaining separate versions of the file for competitor analysis and internal segmentation analysis is often advisable.

The mathematical demonstration of tailwinds and headwinds can be understood by introducing an intermediary scenario where market volumes correspond to the current period while segment shares remain identical to those of the past period.

Links and References

Tailwinds and headwinds analysis depends on a clear understanding of market structure and segmentation. See the Market Mix framework for the foundation behind these dynamics.

Understanding where growth and decline occur across segments also helps guide solution investment and portfolio decisions. To place these insights in context, refer to the Solution Mix page.

Product Requirements and License

Requirements

  • Microsoft Excel for Windows
  • Microsoft 365 or a compatible Excel version supporting the required dynamic-range functionality

Download & Use

  • For professional use — see Terms and Conditions below
  • Download link valid for 2 months
  • Up to 10 downloads
  • Embedded macros accessible for customization
  • Branding, trademarks, and references must remain visible

Terms and Conditions

Purchase and use of the application are subject to the applicable General Sales Conditions.

General Sales Conditions — English
Conditions Générales de Vente — Français