Let’s talk about hockey. NHL organizations all over North America have a variety of different strategies they use to identify player opportunity on a given team. Primarily, this breaks down into “numbers guys” and “eyes guys”. We’re talking about Analysts who pour over every stat of every player over the course of multiple seasons. We're
“What did you have for dinner last night?” “Oh we had chicken.” “Is that all?” “What do you mean?” This is exactly our point! 99% of the time, you probably had a side dish with that chicken, or other main course. Maybe it wasn’t memorable, but it was definitely there, and you might be
For decades the Canadian consumer has been asked their preference between the two most globally popular carbonated soft drinks, Coke and Pepsi. Friendships have been forged and destroyed by this taste war*, and it continues to rage across multiple banners in Ontario. As a grocery store, or other CPG retailer who carries these products, you
Dear Executive, The last time we spoke, we talked about innovation, and the importance of keeping up to the minute with new and exciting information around side-dishes in the store. We hope since then your steak dinners at the country club have been accompanied by a plethora of fresh vegetables, warm garlic mashed potatoes, and
Ever wish your customers would say this more? Who could blame you. Typically, businesses get so in tune with hearing about how they really need to have a sale to drive product in certain categories, that they don’t stop to think about which categories may or may not actually need the promotional price drop. We’ve
I used to feel that at worst, being a professional marketer meant helping my employer or client succeed and thus provide jobs, and products people enjoyed. At best, I was ensuring the onward progress of our society for the good of all (more wealth = better lives across the planet). In fact, data globally shows
Remember Step 2 of the Eight Step Process anyone? Define the Role of the Category. Well, how did that work out for you? It was an important consideration. Pointless to propose strategies that were a mismatch for what a retailer sought to achieve “top-down” with that category. In a limited space environment, tough choices need
Back in the day, most larger CPG firms had massive human resources, and budgets for data to match. There was the capability to strive for the optimum within insights and data solutions. Things have changed. CPG is under pressure as never before, as growth slows and retail competition heats up. Companies react by slimming down
Data is the currency of modern business. Getting the right conclusions and taking action driven by data is critical to personal and collective success. But I reckon the canary has just keeled over in the coal mine. I have probably sat through or presented at over hundreds, maybe even a thousand data presentations in my
We talk to CPG companies about shopper insights day in day out. We are used to rooms filled with “category” people, and indeed salespeople. But it's amazing how rarely brand managers come along. I think the shorthand or even subliminal implication to marketing departments is that talking shopper is about retailers, selling, more about execution,
