strategy+business: CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Rethinking the Product Launch

by Max Cuellar, Leslie Moeller, and Heberto Molina — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Organic growth requires you to look freshly at your customer value proposition. This systematic process combines creativity and analysis to do just that -- for a hamburger chain like Wendy's or for any other consumer-facing business.

The Case for the Brand Ideal

by Jim Stengel — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Behind many a successful product, there's a sharply focused intention to improve lives. The former global marketing officer of Procter & Gamble describes how he learned to foster a brand's aspirational value -- even for a product as seemingly simple as Jif peanut butter.

How Ikea Reassembled Its Growth Strategy

by Deniz Caglar, Marco Kesteloo, and Art Kleiner — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

During the Great Recession, an iconic European furniture company found a growth strategy that let it cut expenses while raising customer loyalty. This interview, conducted for the forthcoming s+b article "Is Your Company Fit for Growth?" shows how Ikea thrived by reinvesting its savings in its most important capabilities.

Consumer Packaged Goods: Invest in Shopper Marketing

by Matt Egol, J. Neely, and Richard Rawlinson — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Retail: Become Better Curators

by Deniz Caglar, Nicholas Hodson, Karla Martin, and Marcelo Tau — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

What's Your Company's Facebook LPM (Likes per Million)?

by Nicholas Hodson, Umut Aytekin, and Jon Crawford — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Social media is giving us an intriguing new measure of brand engagement. Every company can compare its brand value to that of its competitors based on a scale that really matters: the love of Facebook fans, adjusted for company size. On this scale, developed by Booz & Company, some brands place unexpectedly high (Forever 21, Starbucks, Subway), and others (Amazon, Microsoft, Toyota) are surprisingly low.

Making Customer Segmentation Deliver

by Corey Yulinsky — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

As the ability to gather sophisticated data grows, here's a four-step process for making segmentation drive improved performance.

How Coca-Cola Manages 90 Emerging Markets

by William J. Holstein — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The world's largest beverage company has delegated major decision making to individual markets, but it maintains its global brand through collaborative practices. In this interview, Ahmet C. Bozer, president of the Coca-Cola Company's Eurasia and Africa Group, explains how this iconic international company has structured itself to compete in emerging economies.

Data Points: Finding Shoppers Where They Live

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Competing for the Global Middle Class

by Edward Tse, Bill Russo, and Ronald Haddock — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Three types of companies are jockeying for position in emerging economies, seeking to capture the loyalty of billions of new consumers.

The New Web of World Trade

by Joe Saddi, Karim Sabbagh, and Richard Shediac — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Gulf economies of the Middle East are forming partnerships with other emerging markets, redefining the ancient trade routes that once linked East and West.

Focus vs. Hocus-Pocus at Alberto-Culver

by James Marino — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The CEO of this nimble cosmetics company explains the advantages of a small size and a coherent strategy.

M&A in the New CPG Strategy

by J. Neely, Paul Leinwand, and Amit Misra — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

For consumer products companies seeking acquisition targets, the game-changing deals are those that bring more coherence.

Consumer Packaged Goods: Escaping the Consolidation Mentality

by Steffen Lauster, Elisabeth Hartley, and Samrat Sharma — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Holding fast to the two myths that have long dominated strategy in consumer-oriented industries -- that bigger companies win, and that one or two players control every product category -- can get a firm into trouble. A capabilities-driven strategy can provide a better path to profit.

Next-Generation Product Development

by Barry Jaruzelski, Richard Holman, and Omar Daud — Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Combining agile up-front processes with a lean approach to the back end can help companies outperform the competition.

The Virtual Fitting Room

by Annette Kramer — Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500

As simulation technologies transform the apparel shopping experience, retailers must decide how rapidly to embrace innovation. The Fits.me story demonstrates how challenging -- and rewarding -- an Internet marketing strategy can be.

The M-Commerce Challenge to Retail

by Matt Anderson, Nick Buckner, and Stefan Eikelmann — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

As smartphones change shopping, merchants face a stark choice: Fall in behind their newly enabled consumers or fall behind altogether.

The Power of the Post-Recession Consumer

by John Gerzema and Michael D'Antonio — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

An analysis of attitudes and spending reveals a return to traditional values, driven by consumers searching for quality, affordability, and connection.

Values vs. Value

by Timothy Devinney, Pat Auger, and Giana M. Eckhardt — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

New research revealing a disparity between what shoppers say and what they do debunks the myth of the ethical consumer.

The Coming Wave of "Social Apponomics"

by Matt Anderson, Henning Hagen, and Gregor Harter — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The secret to profitability on the Internet has finally arrived in an innovative blend of social media, Web mobility, and creative e-commerce applications.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle…or Rethink

by Tim Laseter, Anton Ovchinnikov, and Gal Raz — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

For consumer durables, environmental sustainability starts with discarding conventional wisdom.

A Better Choosing Experience

by Sheena Iyengar and Kanika Agrawal — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

When consumers are overwhelmed with options, marketers should give them what they really want: ways of shopping that lower the cognitive stress.

Forecasting the Winners in Luxury's Slow Recovery

by Steven Treppo and Bart Sayer — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Retailers are courting the next generation of aspirational buyers.

At Zappos, Culture Pays

by Dick Richards — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The thriving Internet shoe retailer has made its name and a lot of money by being eccentric.

Data Points: A Big Change in Emerging-market Spending

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

What Experience Would You Like with That?

by Theodore Kinni — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

How a new view of consumers changed the way we think about products, companies, and economies.

Growth through Focus: A Blueprint for Driving Profitable Expansion

by Sanjay Khosla and Mohanbir Sawhney — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Rather than seek increased revenues and profits by expanding products and markets, companies should follow a seven-step strategy for achieving more with less.

Brand Building, Beyond Marketing

by Nicholas Ind and Majken Schultz — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Consumers are becoming more suspicious of traditional branding. Here are five steps to regain their trust.

The New Consumer Frugality

by Matthew Egol, Andrew Clyde, and Kasturi Rangan — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Retailers must adapt to the enduring shift in U.S. consumer spending and behavior, according to a new Booz & Company survey of buying habits.

Data Points: Why Shoppers Switch

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

A new survey reveals that for different types of products, consumers change brands in response to different marketing triggers.