With continuing constraints and uncertainty Christmas 2020 is different. Brands that can insightfully recognise this and raise our spirits have an opportunity to connect. For me, Burberry is one brilliant example. Burberry's film acknowledges that 2020 is 'raining down hard' and is defiantly positive in response. Maintaining a safe distance from conventional Christmas communication it... Continue Reading →
I am missing the energy and interaction of a workshop in a real room. That said, I can concede that virtually delivered projects in these Covid-constrained times can prove more effective. A good example is a recent project for Unilever. Our project objective was to determine the key business model and capability developments that would... Continue Reading →
BP is understandably keen to show it has the ambition to achieve net zero and a strategy that deals with the future demise of fossil fuels. On their website you'll find an upbeat video on how it will reimagine its business. The BP strategy seeks to remove planet-warming emissions from its operations by 2050, grow... Continue Reading →
You may not have heard of the Indian telcom brand Jio but investors certainly have. The company has recently gathered $20bn from investors that include Google and Facebook. Jio is a company with lots of latent e-commerce potential. It has about a 45% share of Indian mobile phone users and via parent company Reliance... Continue Reading →
Ben & Jerry's was praised for releasing a corporate statement expressing outrage over the death of George Floyd. It has also promptly joined the "#StopHateForProfit" campaign, pausing advertising on Facebook and Instagram in the U.S. In its recent statement the company has called for "concrete steps" to dismantle "white supremacy in all its forms" arguing the death... Continue Reading →
The launch of a direct to consumer website is not usually big news, especially during this pandemic, but PepsiCo's launch of Snacks.com and Pantryshop.com has gained attention with headlines such as "PepsiCo cuts out grocery stores." These simple websites don't look like a particularly big strategic play at first glance. In fact PepsiCo suggest they... Continue Reading →
Travel in general and TUI in particular are having a torrid time as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. With a net loss of €763 million in the last 6 months TUI will soon cut around 8,000 jobs to reduce overhead costs by 30 percent. Alongside cost savings the company needs to attract hesitant consumers back... Continue Reading →
Keeping a safe social distance means changes for workshops. With technology such as TEAMS, Zoom or WhatsApp ready to help, the challenge is creating a remote experience that maximises engagement and productivity. Your participants are likely to be spending plenty of time on conference calls and may not relish more. So when planning think about... Continue Reading →
Nike faces some some uncertainty, but it is a business well positioned for a post-pandemic bounce. Boosted by strong sales growth in China the company's revenue grew to $40 billion in 2019. Footwear accounts for more than half of the brand's revenue. Nike's leading position for sales is not matched by sustainability. Progress is being made... Continue Reading →
I feel some discomfort defining Banksy as a brand. On the important attributes I am on solid ground: the artist's work is distinct, recognisable, and consistently purposeful in message. However, I suspect it is a label that the anonymous street artist who has deemed commercial success "a mark of failure" would dislike a lot. Labelling... Continue Reading →
