The future of FMCG research has arrived
My 30 year old son, a 'gamer' from way back, bought himself one of the new Playstation Virtual Reality units last week. We have all heard about VR for ages, or it seems that way, always just about to be commercialised, then suddenly, a consumer retail level product...
6 Questions that keep business owners awake at night
Every business is different, but the foundations of every business are very similar. Answering these 6 seemingly simple questions should expose any weaknesses in the foundations of your business. Why should customers buy from me rather than my competitors? If you...
How could Samsung stuff it up so badly?
Once again, we are the observers in what will become another in the great 'How to manage a marketing cluster****' course. I am talking about the public reaction of Samsung to the exploding Galaxy Note 7 phone. Recent history is littered with lessons on both sides of...
3 things advertising cannot do, despite the claims.
Many small and medium sized businesses I interact with seem to have the view that advertising and marketing are synonyms, and if they had a bit more money in their marketing budgets, it would best be spent on advertising. Rarely is that the case. Advertising is just a...
Digital impotence and the Black Knight
I am in the middle of a device free week. Not by choice, my PC took a powder, and is in the 'hospital' for surgery. Now, at the close of day 5 I feel like the Black Knight, still kicking, but no arms. The term digital impotence springs to mind. It is interesting to...
How to tell if you are selling to the right person.
The early stages of a B2B sales process can be tricky. Few people are happy to admit that they do not hold the power implied in their role, and those in a corporate purchasing role are particularly reluctant. Rarely will they admit that they are not able to sign a...
Where now for the two big supermarket retailers?
What a fascinating time to be an observer of FMCG. The speed of strategic evolution is ramping up, and the risks to the investors in the two retail gorillas must be increasing as a result. 15 years ago FMCG retailing in Australia was a two horse race. Coles or...
October 5, 2016. Five years on.
Last Wednesday, October 5 was the 5th anniversary of the death of Steve Jobs, on October 5, 2011, aged 59 . How time flies. The words of the great Apple ad that started the ball rolling again when he returned from exile in 1997 to the company he created with Steve...
Is ‘Proprietary Housebrand’ an oxymoron?
Is this range of McWilliams wines a housebrand or not? it is exclusive to Dan Murpy's, so 'yes', but it is a proprietary brand, so 'no'. At the very least, the trading terms conversations would have been interesting. It is also claimed to be an 'Innovation' which...
The compelling essence of leadership demonstrated yesterday
Yesterday the Western Bulldogs won the AFL grand final. I am not an AFL fan, my game is the one they play in heaven, sadly not much down here any more, but that game yesterday stirred emotions in even one who really did not care about the outcome. For the Dogs to win...