The secret world of biscuits
Did anyone watch the C4 programme about biscuits? I caught up with this programme last night and I found it fascinating hearing the ex Executives from the big brands talk about their experience and the rivarly between them. It was similar the previous week with crisps – and how Walkers came to dominate the market. […]
Winning business models
As many of you will know I talk about the business model canvas A LOT! That is because it is really important that you (a) understand your business model and (b) are aware of the potential threats and risks to your business model – both internal and external. Covid has obviously has a huge impact […]
Anyone for tennis?
I will be glued to Wimbledon for the next two weeks. As a tennis player in my youth I have played a lot of matches in my time. Some I won, and some I lost. I would often play tactically but rarely, if ever, had a strategy. I knew my own strengths, but did not […]
Who is next to close their shops?
Today in the news the latest retailer to sadly close their doors is Thorntons. They are changing their business model to online only. I am not sure how sustainable this is for them or who their audience is? The gift market is a possibility but they will lose a lot of turnover in terms of […]
Bank Balance – A Strategic Game
Did anyone watch Bank Balance – a game show hosted by Gordon Ramsey? I was glued to it every night as it represented the importance of having a clear game plan – A STRATEGY! Contestants who had a strategy from the start fared much better than those that were making decisions as they went along. […]
Community First
One of the key consumer trends arising from the pandemic is the move towards supporting our local community. As we leave our homes and neighbourhoods less, our community becomes more important to us. There is real sense of camaraderie and collectivism. We now are more likely to go out our way and check-in on our […]
Strategy & Culture
Thank you to members Anish and Mike for starting a discussion on the peer forum on the relationship between Strategy and Culture. One of the key components of successful strategy execution is the right culture. In the current climate of high unpredictability then your strategic approach needs to be either Adaptive or Shaping. Adaptive = being […]
Keeping up with trends
I know they have been around a while but Air Fryers appear to be the latest must have kitchen gadget. Whilst cooking tea the other night I noticed that the cooking instructions now included timings for air-fryers. It got me thinking about the impact of the trend on food manufacturers and the thought process they […]
A winning combination
This week I ventured out to Boots to stock on ‘essentials’. I needed shower gel and my eye was immediately drawn to this bottle. Something about the packaging made it look like a high end quality product but at a price that was mass market. Winning combination! I had no idea if it would smell […]
Social influencers caught out
It has been widely reported this week that influencers had been paid to promote degrees they never took at Anglia Ruskin University. The posts focused on the fun they had as a student and how it changed their lives. The posts were marked as adverts and do not actually mention which university they did attend […]