Project Plan & Deliverables

1. Why This Project

1.1 The situation

Freya has been building software for the HoReCa industry since 2007. In that time, it has grown from a single POS product into an ecosystem of 12+ integrated applications covering restaurants, hotels, retail, delivery, self-ordering, loyalty, financial management, and kitchen operations. Over 2,000 companies use Freya products. The largest deployment spans 130+ locations.

That is a strong foundation. Based on our initial discussions with the Freya team, we hypothesise that Freya is now at a point where the gap between what the company is and how the market perceives it has become a growth barrier. This hypothesis — along with the others below — must be validated through the diagnostic phase.

We see three structural shifts that may be shaping Freya's opportunity. These are working hypotheses that require validation:

1. The market is consolidating. The number of HoReCa units in Romania is declining (−10%+ projected), but revenue is growing (+6.8%). Small independents are closing; chains are expanding. The opportunity is moving upscale.
2. Regulatory demand is peaking. Law 239/2025 (mandatory electronic payments from January 2026), RO e-Factura, SAF-T rollout, and tightening fiscal device rules are forcing ~120,000 micro-enterprises to adopt POS/payment technology. This creates a wave of demand — but also attracts new competitors.
3. Competitive pressure is intensifying from three directions. On the domestic front, established Romanian competitors (Bit-Soft, Expressoft, Boogit, Ebriza, Taptasty) are fighting for the same HoReCa clients — with Ebriza emerging as the strongest cloud-native player (transparent SaaS pricing €49–179/location/month, strongest delivery integration ecosystem among local vendors). Internationally, affordable cloud platforms like Poster ($26–62/location/month, AI-powered analytics) and enterprise systems like iiko and r-Keeper are entering Romania through local distributors. In retail, specialised players (Sedona, Comax/BinaSmartBusiness) already own the vertical Freya wants to enter. Meanwhile, compliance-first platforms like SmartBill (150,000+ firms) capture the invoicing/accounting entry point and could expand into operational POS.

Competitive Landscape Overview

Based on our discovery call with the Freya team, we see the competitive landscape structured across three tiers:

Tier 1 — Romanian Domestic Competitors (direct HoReCa):

Tier 2 — International Players Active in Romania:

Tier 3 — Retail Vertical Competitors:

Key Competitive Dynamics:

1.2 The problems

Based on our discovery call, we have formed five hypotheses about what may be limiting Freya's growth. These must be investigated and validated — or revised — through the diagnostic phase:

Problem 1: Brand confusion is blocking recognition and referral

Freya has outgrown its initial brand structure. The market currently encounters fragmented brand touchpoints — FreyaPOS, Freya Shop, and an outdated web presence — across multiple domains with different visual systems and overlapping names. "Freya Shop" names both an ecommerce hardware store and a retail POS product. LinkedIn and digital channels do not consistently point to a single, unified Freya brand. A prospect who hears about Freya from a colleague cannot easily find, understand, or refer the brand unambiguously.

Consequence: Every point of confusion is a point of conversion loss. The B2B2C shift depends on end-users (waiters, accountants, admins) recognising and advocating for Freya by name. That is impossible with a fragmented identity.

Problem 2: The pricing model creates friction instead of enabling adoption

Freya's current pricing is quote-only. A prospect must fill in a form, wait for a phone call, go through a discovery meeting, and receive a custom proposal before seeing a number. Many competitors are publish pricing and even offer free trials. In a market where regulatory pressure is pushing thousands of first-time buyers to look for solutions, this friction costs deals.

Consequence: Freya loses deals not because the product is inferior, but because the buying process is harder than the competition's.

Problem 3: The product ecosystem is invisible

Freya has 12+ modules, integrations with all major delivery platforms, ANAF compliance, hotel management, loyalty, and more. But this is not communicated clearly. Individual modules lack consistent naming. The ecosystem breadth — which is Freya's biggest structural advantage — is buried under generic messaging.

Consequence: Prospects perceive Freya as "another POS system" rather than what it actually is: the most comprehensive HoReCa technology platform built in Romania. The competitive advantage is real but invisible.

Problem 4: The upscale shift lacks positioning support

Freya is moving from serving predominantly small independents to targeting chains with tens or hundreds of units. This requires different proof points, different messaging, and different sales support. The current brand and communication does not signal "enterprise-ready" or "chain-scale."

Consequence: Large prospects default to established enterprise solutions (Socrate/Bittnet, international platforms) because Freya does not look like a credible alternative at that scale.

Problem 5: The category question is unanswered

Is Freya a POS company? A SaaS provider? An app ecosystem? A hospitality operating system? A HoReCa intelligence platform? This determines which competitors the market compares Freya against, which evaluation criteria they use, and which price point they consider fair.

Consequence: Without a deliberate category choice, the market places Freya in the "POS software" bucket by default — the most crowded, most price-competitive bucket — rather than in a category where Freya's full ecosystem breadth is a differentiator.

1.3 The goals

Based on our discussion, the project must accomplish the following. Each goal is stated as a deliverable, with the intended marketing outcome and a clear split between what we deliver and what the client implements:

Agency vs. client roles

Our deliverables provide the strategy, identity, and assets. Translating them into sustained business outcomes requires active client-side implementation:

2. How We Work

2.1 Our approach: Diagnose before prescribing

This project follows a disciplined structure: Diagnosis → Strategy → Execution. We do not jump to tactics, visual concepts, or campaign ideas until the diagnostic foundation is solid.

What this means in practice:

• We research first, recommend second
• Every strategic recommendation will be traced back to evidence from the diagnosis
• No visual design work begins until the positioning is defined
• No communications are produced until the brand platform is approved

2.2 Frameworks we use

Our work is grounded in two complementary strategic frameworks:

Diagnosis → STP → Objectives

• 3C Diagnosis: Company audit, Customer research, Competitor analysis — the factual foundation
• Segmentation → Targeting → Positioning: How to divide the market, choose where to compete, and define the brand's place
• Distinctive brand assets: Building recognition through both visual and verbal codes, AND relative differentiation
• Objectives: Defining specific, measurable, and time-bound marketing objectives that will support the business & marketing goals.

Positioning as context

• Best-fit customers: Start from who loves Freya most, not who could potentially buy
• Competitive alternatives: Understand who Freya is actually compared against, not who we wish we were compared against
• Unique attributes → Value → Proof: The chain from capability to customer benefit to hard evidence
• Market category as a strategic choice: Choosing the right "bucket" is the most consequential positioning decision

3. The Plan

Project structure at a glance

Phases overlap where dependencies allow (see §3.7 for the sequencing logic).

Phase 1: Diagnosis — Understanding reality before making decisions

208 working hours across three work streams

The diagnosis phase builds the factual foundation for every subsequent decision. We investigate three dimensions — the company, the customers, and the competitors — so that the strategy we develop is grounded in evidence, not assumptions.

Stage 1A: Company Diagnosis — "What is Freya, really?"

64 working hours

Purpose: Establish a verified, evidence-based understanding of Freya's current state — products, finances, sales process, brand structure, pricing, and category perception.

Process 1A.1: Company Profile Compilation & Validation

What we do: Compile and verify all factual information about Freya — history, ownership, team, proof points, and credibility claims — into a single reference document.

Client involvement: Provide internal documents, organisational chart, and access to key team members for a 60-minute validation session.

Process 1A.2: Product Ecosystem Inventory

What we do: Catalogue every Freya module, app, integration, and capability. Map how they connect. Build a feature comparison matrix. Identify naming inconsistencies.

Client involvement: Provide product documentation, roadmap overview, and a 90-minute walkthrough with the product lead.

Process 1A.3: Revenue & Financial Overview

What we do: Analyse revenue breakdown by product, segment, and channel. Estimate key unit economics (CAC, LTV, churn, ACV).

Client involvement: Provide revenue data by product/segment/channel for the last 24 months. This can be anonymised or aggregated — we need the shape of the numbers, not individual transactions.

Process 1A.4: Sales Funnel Audit

What we do: Map the end-to-end sales process, measure conversion at each stage, and identify bottlenecks.

Client involvement: Provide CRM/pipeline data or a structured export. A 60-minute walkthrough with the sales lead.

Process 1A.5: Brand Architecture Audit

What we do: Document the full extent of brand fragmentation — naming collisions, visual inconsistencies, domain structure, and the path to independence.

Client involvement: Access to all brand assets, domain registrations, social media accounts.

Process 1A.6: Pricing Model Analysis

What we do: Document the current pricing structure, benchmark against competitors, and evaluate alternative pricing models.

Client involvement: Share current pricing structure and any internal analysis. A 60-minute discussion with the commercial lead.

Process 1A.7: Category Perception Audit

What we do: Map how the market currently categorises Freya and define the options for what it could become.

Stage 1B: Customer & Market Diagnosis — "Who does Freya serve and what do they need?"

Purpose: Understand the market Freya operates in, the segments it could target, and — most importantly — what actual customers and lost prospects think.

Process 1B.1: HoReCa Market Overview

What we do: Research and validate the Romanian HoReCa market — size, structure, growth, digitalisation rate, and structural shifts.

Process 1B.2: Retail Tech Market Overview

What we do: Analyse the Romanian retail technology market — a vertical Freya wants to develop but where specialised competitors already operate.

Process 1B.3: Regulatory Impact Assessment

What we do: Map which regulations create demand, how durable the compliance advantage is, and what's coming next.

Process 1B.4: Market Sizing (TAM / SAM / SOM)

What we do: Quantify the total opportunity, the addressable portion, and the realistically obtainable share.

Process 1B.5: Segment Definition & Scoring

What we do: Define all plausible customer segments, estimate their size and attractiveness, and score strategic fit.

Process 1B.6: Customer Interviews — Current Clients

What we do: Conduct in-depth interviews with Freya clients across segments to understand why they chose Freya, what they value, and what they would change.

Client involvement: Provide a list of 15–20 current clients across segments with contact permission. We handle scheduling, conducting, and analysing all interviews.

Process 1B.7: Customer Interviews — Lost Prospects

What we do: Conduct interviews with businesses that evaluated Freya but chose a competitor or did nothing. This reveals competitive blind spots that no amount of internal analysis can.

Client involvement: Provide a list of lost prospects with contact permission.

Process 1B.8: End-User Research

What we do: Research the people who use Freya daily — waiters, accountants, hotel admins — to validate the B2B2C thesis.

Client involvement: Provide access to end-users at 3–5 client businesses.

Process 1B.9: Buying Trigger Analysis

What we do: Map the situations that cause a business to start looking for a solution like Freya.

Process 1B.10: Decision-Making Unit (DMU) Mapping

What we do: For each priority segment, map who is involved in the purchase decision and how the B2B2C model changes this dynamic.

Stage 1C: Competitor Diagnosis — "Who does Freya compete with and how?"

56 working hours

Purpose: Build detailed profiles of every competitor that matters — especially the ones Freya actually loses deals to — and identify where Freya is genuinely ahead, matching, or behind.

Process 1C.1: Update Existing Competitor Profiles

What we do: Build and validate detailed profiles for all known competitors in the Romanian POS/HoReCa technology market.

Process 1C.2: Deep-Dive — Direct HoReCa Competitors

What we do: Profile the direct HoReCa competitors identified during the discovery phase. Each profile will cover product scope, target segments, pricing model, fiscal compliance depth, chain readiness, delivery integrations, strengths, and weaknesses.

Process 1C.3: Deep-Dive — Retail Competitors

What we do: Profile the specialised retail platforms that are key competitors in the retail vertical. Each profile will cover product scope, retail-specific features, pricing, market position, and differentiation versus Freya.

Process 1C.4: Deep-Dive — International via Local Distributors

What we do: Profile the international enterprise-grade HoReCa platforms entering Romania through local distributors. Each profile will cover product capabilities, chain-scale features, pricing, localisation status, and threat assessment.

Process 1C.5: Status Quo & Indirect Alternatives

What we do: Analyse the biggest competitor of all — businesses using Excel, paper, old cash registers, or accountant workarounds.

Process 1C.6: Competitive Positioning Maps

What we do: Build visual positioning maps showing where Freya and all key competitors sit on relevant competitive axes.

Process 1C.7: Feature Parity & Gap Analysis

What we do: Build a detailed feature comparison matrix comparing Freya against the top 5 competitors across 30+ capability areas. Identify unique advantages and critical gaps.

Phase 1 Synthesis: Market & User Insights Report

At the end of Phase 1, all findings from Stages 1A, 1B, and 1C are synthesised into a single presentation:

Phase 2: Strategy & Positioning — Making the hard choices

76 working hours

Purpose: Translate the diagnostic evidence into strategic decisions. This is where we choose the target segments, define the positioning, build the brand platform, design the naming architecture, recommend a pricing model, and set measurable objectives.

This phase cannot begin until Phase 1 is substantially complete. Diagnosis must precede prescription.

Stage 2A: Positioning Foundations

Process 2A.1: Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Definition

What we do: Synthesise segment research and customer interviews into a clear definition of who Freya should target first.

Process 2A.2: Competitive Alternatives Summary

What we do: Define the 3–5 competitors that Freya's best-fit customers actually compare Freya against, and how they evaluate them.

Process 2A.3: Unique Attributes Identification

What we do: Build an evidence-based list of what Freya can do that competitors cannot — validated against real competitive alternatives and customer evidence, not wishful thinking.

Process 2A.4: Value Mapping

What we do: Translate each unique attribute into a customer outcome — connecting features to benefits to measurable results.

Process 2A.5: Proof Points Inventory

What we do: Compile hard evidence supporting every positioning claim, and identify where evidence is missing.

Process 2A.6: Market Category Selection

What we do: Evaluate category frame options and recommend the one that maximises Freya's advantages.

Stage 2B: Positioning Statement & Brand Platform

Process 2B.1: Positioning Statement Development

What we do: Draft and test 2–3 candidate positioning statements, evaluate them against strategic criteria, and refine the winner.

Process 2B.2: Brand Strategy & Coherence Framework

What we do: Define the strategic framework that ensures the brand is single-minded, coherent, and recognisable. This is not about aspirational language — it is about building distinctive brand assets and ensuring consistency across every touchpoint.

Process 2B.3: Naming Architecture Design

What we do: Resolve the naming chaos. Design a systematic naming convention for all products, modules, and features.

Stage 2C: Commercial Strategy

Process 2C.1: Pricing & Commercial Model

What we do: Develop a pricing model recommendation that supports both B2B and B2B2C motions.

Process 2C.2: KPI Framework & 12-Month Objectives

What we do: Define measurable goals and a framework for tracking progress.

Phase 3: Brand Identity — Building the brand system

56 working hours

Purpose: Translate the strategy into a visual and verbal identity system that is distinctive, consistent, and works at every scale — from a waiter's mobile screen to a 100-location chain's procurement review.

This phase cannot begin until the Brand Platform (Phase 2B) is approved.

Stage 3A: Visual Identity

Process 3A.1: Visual Identity Exploration & Concepts

What we do: Develop 2–3 visual directions based on the brand platform, with logo concepts and mockups in real-world context.

Client involvement: Review session (60–90 minutes) to select a direction.

Process 3A.2: Logo Design & Refinement

What we do: Develop the selected logo direction into a complete, production-ready logo system.

Process 3A.3: Brand Book

What we do: Create the comprehensive brand book — the single source of truth for how the Freya brand looks, speaks, and behaves. This document consolidates the brand strategy (from Phase 2), the visual identity, the verbal identity, and the distinctive brand assets into one coherent reference.

Phase 4: Go-to-Market & Launch — Introducing the new Freya

56 working hours

Purpose: Build the roadmap and the concrete communication assets that launch the new Freya to the market.

This phase begins after Phase 2 is complete and overlaps with Phase 3 as brand assets become available.

Stage 4A: Go-to-Market Roadmap

Process 4A.1: GTM Strategy & 12-Month Roadmap

What we do: Define the channel strategy, segment entry sequence, content plan, and resource requirements for the next 12 months.

Stage 4B: Launch Campaign

Process 4B.1: Launch Campaign Plan

What we do: Design the creative concept, timeline, and channel plan for the launch.

Process 4B.2: PR Articles — 3 Articles

What we do: Write three PR-ready articles — a brand launch announcement, an industry thought leadership piece, and a customer success story.

Process 4B.3: Social Media Content — 5 Posts

What we do: Write and design 5 example social media posts for LinkedIn/other channels, with engagement guidelines.

Process 4B.4: Email Launch Sequence

What we do: Write launch emails for existing clients and prospects.

Stage 4C: Employer Branding

Process 4C.1: Employer Branding Playbook

What we do: Create an internal guide for turning employees into brand ambassadors.

Phase 5: Final Report & Handover

8 working hours

Process 5.1: Final Project Completion Report

What we do: Compile the final report with executive summary, deliverables index, and implementation recommendations.

Phase 6: Internationalisation — The next frontier

~100 working hours across four work streams

The internationalisation phase builds the factual foundation for and recommends Freya's entry into new geographic markets. We investigate market attractiveness, regulatory fit, competitive dynamics, and partner availability so that the decision to enter a market is grounded in evidence, not optimism.

Stage 6A: Market Screening & Selection — "Where could Freya win?"

25 working hours

Purpose: Systematically evaluate a longlist of potential target countries and narrow it down to a ranked shortlist of 2–3 candidates for deep-dive analysis.

Process 6A.1: Longlist Development & Selection Criteria

What we do: Define the evaluation framework and apply it to an initial list of 6–10 potential target countries (e.g., CEE, SEE, Western Europe, Near East).

Process 6A.2: Rapid Market Assessment

What we do: For each country on the longlist, conduct a high-level assessment of market size, structure, key segments, digital adoption rates, and regulatory headline requirements.

Process 6A.3: Top 2–3 Market Selection

What we do: Facilitate a workshop to select the top 2–3 markets for deep-dive analysis based on the scorecard and strategic priorities.

Stage 6B: Deep-Dive Market Analysis — "What does the market look like up close?"

30 working hours

Purpose: For each of the 2–3 selected markets, build a comprehensive market file that answers the question: "Is this market ready for Freya, and is Freya ready for it?"

Process 6B.1: Market Structure & Dynamics

What we do: Research the HoReCa and retail landscape in depth. Identify market size by segment (independent vs. chain), growth trends, consolidation patterns, and digitalisation drivers.

Process 6B.2: Regulatory & Compliance Landscape

What we do: Map the specific fiscal, payment, data privacy (GDPR depth), and industry-specific regulations that would impact a Freya deployment.

Process 6B.3: Customer & Partner Ecosystem

What we do: Identify key customer segments and potential channel partners, resellers, or system integrators in the target market.

Stage 6C: Competitive Landscape & Positioning Fit — "Who do we beat, and how?"

25 working hours

Purpose: Profile the direct and indirect competitors in each target market and evaluate Freya's potential positioning against them.

Process 6C.1: Competitor Profiling

What we do: Build detailed profiles for the top 5–8 competitors in each target market (domestic champions, regional cloud players, and global entrants).

Process 6C.2: Freya Positioning Fit Assessment

What we do: Map Freya's unique attributes and current positioning against the competitive gaps identified in the target market.

Stage 6D: Product Adaptation & International GTM — "What do we build, and how do we sell it?"

30 working hours

Purpose: Translate the market and competitive intelligence into a concrete product adaptation plan and an international go-to-market strategy.

Process 6D.1: Product Adaptation Roadmap

What we do: Define the specific changes required in the Freya platform for each target market, prioritised by impact and effort.

Process 6D.2: International GTM Strategy

What we do: Recommend the market entry model and build the launch plan.

Process 6D.3: Investment Case & Risk Assessment

What we do: Synthesise the analysis into a board-ready investment case.

Phase 6 Synthesis: Internationalisation Strategy Report

At the end of Phase 6, all findings are synthesised into a single strategic document:

4. Summary

By phase

Project Fee

Estimated project fee: €36,000

• 50% payable in advance upon project commencement
• 50% payable upon project delivery and final handover

Note: This is an estimate. The final project fee will be determined following a strategic session in which we will jointly define a more detailed list of deliverables and agree on the exact work process.

What we need from you

For any deliverable or sub-deliverable, the agency may request a joint workshop or a structured review session to validate findings, align on direction, or resolve open questions.

Estimated timeline

Estimated project duration: 27 weeks (~6.5 months)

5. Strategic Foundation

This section briefly documents the strategic frameworks underpinning the project methodology, for transparency.

This project's methodology is grounded in two complementary and widely-adopted strategic frameworks:

Marketing Strategy — Diagnosis, STP, and Objectives

The Diagnosis → Strategy → Tactics structure; the 3C analysis (Company, Customers, Competitors); Segmentation → Targeting → Positioning (STP); distinctive brand assets; and objectives discipline (SMART goals). This approach ensures we never prescribe before diagnosing.

Product Positioning as Context

The ten-step positioning process: best-fit customers → competitive alternatives → unique attributes → value → proof → market category → positioning statement → messaging rollout. This approach ensures the positioning is grounded in how customers actually make decisions, not in how we wish they would.

Both frameworks share a core principle: strategy is about making choices. As the first holds: "Strategy is about choice, making choices." As the second demonstrates: "Your best-fit customers hold the key to understanding what your product is."

Thank you

Thank you for considering TARNOVSKI Strategic Consultancy for this project. We look forward to the opportunity to work together and help Freya reach its full market potential.

Andrei Tarnovski

+40 759 119 298
andrei@tarnovski.com
www.tarnovski.com