World-class category development is complex, and there are times when the project brief may be a little sketchy. Companies who appoint a team to develop a world-class category development project only to recognise the shopper activation element will be disappointed; there’s much more to a strategic category vision. Category development, on the other hand, starts with...
Over the last few years, most activities have focused on ‘the now’, with little strategic planning or priority given to longer-term projects. Over time, resources (human and financial) have moved from category growth initiatives that require time (category marketing), to more short-term tactical activities designed to deliver an immediate return. The concept of ‘grow the...
How can one phrase mean so many different things to different people? What’s the phrase? Well, it is that much-bandied phrase Category Vision. Recently we were approached by a client and asked to submit a proposal for a category vision project. Our proposal confirmed that the project required a consolidation of trends from a consumer,...
Isn’t it time to put your big brave pants on? It’s time to become the Category Captain. In this article we look at the attributes needed to become a category captain. Are you a good listener? Is your leadership team asking you to become a Category Captain? Is your customer offering you ‘category captaincy’? Let’s...
As shoppers do more of their shopping online, the e-commerce channel needs to keep up with the changing demands of shoppers and evolving channel capabilities. Many suppliers have become very adept at delivering category management initiatives for bricks and mortar stores. Unfortunately, when it comes to online or e-commerce, this can be an afterthought. The...
With all the media hype around shopper marketing, technological advances and digital, brands need to make sure they remember to invest adequate time and effort in ensuring that the Category Management basics are kept in focus. The changes in today’s retail environment show no sign of slowing. It is vital that the decisions made across...
Back to our series on ‘Back to Basics’, let’s look at why category management became such an important discipline. As retailer power increased due to the consolidation of outlets, shopper’s loyalty became even more important. Customers developed loyalty programmes as a way of encouraging loyalty and they looked to suppliers to develop thought leadership, (as...
The eight steps to mastering category management have been guiding our industry since the early 1980s, when Dr Brian Harris first coined the term. We suggest that the time has come for category management to move with the times and evolve into ‘category development’. Category Development needs to be acknowledged as a new philosophy, where...
How do you grow an agile CPG business? Ever wondered if your organisation is a little too tactical with Shopper Marketing? Or needs a longer-term category vision? Do those marketing targets need a new business strategy? Do your structures and processes have to be more agile to allow you to grow? You may already know...
In a white paper, to be published later this year by Big River Solutions, we interviewed a number of CPG Category leaders across a wide range of FMCG manufacturers and asked them to describe their view of the Category world. The results have given us a fascinating insight into best practice, operational pinch points and...
A shepherd through today’s digital realities.
Lead by Muhammad Khaliq.