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CPG Industry: Is Now the Time to Start Strategizing a Price Increase?
The short answer is yes, and the operators who begin planning now will be the ones who stay in control of their margins. This isn't alarmism. It's a clear look at the cost-structure reality taking shape while much of the industry is still operating with a 2021–2022 mindset.
The Rotten Truth about Low-Hanging Fruit in Business – and How to Guide Your Team to Success
Thu, Jul 7, 2016 — Consider the American apple grower, who seeks the sweetest, most desired apples from the top of his towering fruit trees. To reach them, he climbs a large commercial ladder to the very top, and works downward, dumping his fruit in a big, burlap bag around his neck and shoulder. If he were to pick the low-hanging apples first, that means he’d be working his way up the ladder with an increasingly heavy load – quite an inverted way to run an orchard business!
Creating An “Authentic” Customer Relationship (Part 1): Three Macrotrends To Understand Right Now
Tue, Jun 30, 2015 — There’s a “Holy Grail” that the best marketers rarely mention out loud, but represents the ultimate victory in the loyalty game – keeping a customer or guest until they pass on to the great beyond. In reality, having a “customer for life” has become a concept that few can truly visualize anymore. The effect of protracted worldwide recessions, the arrival of finicky Baby Boomers and restless millennials on the scene, and the effectiveness of technology in leveling the marketplace, have threatened the existence of the concept – for those who are unwilling to make significant changes to match the cadence of today’s consumer.
The One Strategic Marketing Question to Ask
Wed, Jun 4, 2014 — When consulting with businesses, one of the fundamentals I look at is whether their business strategy and marketing efforts are in alignment. Just like a well-aligned vehicle will always move confidently in the right direction, so, too, will a business relationship – provided there’s the right connection between what your customers value, and what you provide. Many times, I will hear companies boast of offering great quality, cost and delivery; how they are innovators; and how they have the best technical support teams. The reality is that it’s quite rare for a firm to be the best at everything – and often, pursuing such a superlative-laden strategy can often be a suboptimal marketing strategy to pursue.