It's a law of marketing seldom discussed, but first popularized by Byron Sharp many years ago. What's the gist? Well, the evidence shows that consumers with a robust set of brands they're content within a category are much harder to distract with a new brand
Here’s a sneak preview of my upcoming podcast interview with Prof. Tom Eisenmann of Harvard Business School’s Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship, author of Why Startups Fail. Airing in June on Startup Confidential – available on all major podcast platforms. Believe it or not, founders with prior business operating experience DO
I wrote a white paper almost four years ago on this topic, and most of it holds true still, four years later. Target is rarely a place you want to launch because you are very unlikely to be capitalized to spread nationally when the test
If you heard my recent podcast, you heard me opine on the future of trade shows as true industry events. There is a burning need to re-design these retailer-centric events better for the benefit of manufacturers and brands. Standing in cages for 8 hours hoping
Before the pandemic, I used to point to online sales as a great, less risky alternative channel to get initial sales going. It supplemented foodservice, café, and farmer’s market sales nicely and, if DTC, it provided a market research laboratory to iterate your offering. The
Memorability. It's the most critical growth pillar for premium CPG brands. Why? Because you don't have the cash, credibility, or sales network with which to leap to 80% ACV in mere months. So, how do you enhance it? Design a superbly positioned innovation at the head of
Although I caution against chasing unicorns, this is not meant to validate any brand's growth rate being in the single digits, YoY. This slow growth rate may be in line with the premium CPG sector overall, and it may be much faster than commodity brands
Wow. I knew it was bad, but not this bad. Where did I get this figure? From my early reading of Why Startups Fail? By Tom Eisenmann. In the book, he mentions research that indicates only about 22% of serial entrepreneurs’ second ventures succeed (i.e., succeed in making more money for early investors than was
Your margin is calling. But which one? Gross? Net? Retailer? Distributor? Oh my, this math is annoying. Especially in routes-to-market reliant on 3P distribution. Although most new founders focus on their own wholesale price and NOT on any of the ‘prices’ up the value chain to the shelf, where
Look, would you climb a 14,000 foot mountain without vetting your optimal route given current weather conditions or making sure you have the right supplies and physical training? Would you go on a 200 mile bike ride without planning your route, bringing spare tubes, and knowing how much food and