Purple Sunrise A Brand That’s Coming to your Breakfast Table Soon
DON’T CALL IT MUSH!
Hot cereals have long been part of the healthy breakfast. Most doctors recommend them as essential for good health, and a tasty alternative to the American standard of bacon and eggs. There are a variety of hot grain cereals to choose, from iconic Quaker Oats and the...
VinoPro Reinvents Itself and the Wine Sales Business in the Process
THE BRAND BEHIND THE BRANDS
For the second year in a row, our client VinoPro again made the Inc. 500 list, showing 190% growth over last year. In 2013, they hit the ultra-prestigious Inc.500 list where they ranked No. 238 with a whopping 1,810% growth. Now, that is something to cheer...
Traditional Corporate Structure Can Hurt Brand Health
THE DEFICIENCIES OF SCALE
In order to stay fresh, relevant, and dominate their space, brands must constantly reinvent themselves. But does the traditional company structure itself suffocate a brand’s growth and evolution? Does the structure itself create its own roadblocks, choke communication, and suppress innovation? Traditional corporate structure puts marketing...
Alan Mulally Remortgages, Repositions and Saves Ford
FUN – A THREE LETTER WORD
About to retire after eight years Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company’s CEO, is leaving on a high note. When he was passed over to run Boeing after taking a big part in the reorganization of that company, he accepted Bill Ford’s offer to become CEO. At...
Company Structure Can Help or Hurt a Brand
CUSTOMER SERVICE = CUSTOMER INTEL
The Old Pyramid Structure When we hear of recalls in the automotive industry, we know their own sales and customer service departments knew about the problems years in advance. Today, many companies say they put the customer on top. But how can they if they put...
Consumer Brands Live or Die with the New Year Sets
DID YOU MAKE THE CUT?
Consumer brand builders’ angst is over the top every year at this time. As the New Year begins to unfold, so do the corporate retail decisions about what products will remain in their stores and what the new shelf schematic (also known as the “official set”)...
Black Friday Exceeds its Brand Width
MORE IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER
This year, many people were shocked at the incursion of Black Friday sales into Thanksgiving Day itself. They thought the Thanksgiving holiday should remain a time for family and friends to gather together to share appreciation and gratitude. But not for shopping. Nevertheless, the big box...
Start Your Holiday Social Media Campaigns NOW!
TELL THEM TO HAVE FUN!
The National Retail Federation recently released their overall holiday retail sales forecast. The forecast expects an increase of almost 4 percent over last year to $602 billion. Shop.org expects online holiday sales to increase up to 15 percent for $82 billion. Retailers are rolling out their holiday...
Consumer Brand Building Takes Tenacity and Vigilance
HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW
Building a consumer brand faces many challenges, especially in the early days. Many inexperienced start- up producers get the idea that if they can just get their product on the retail shelf, then they have succeeded. But nothing could be further from the truth. We found...
Distinguish Your Brand with Unique Packaging
THE REPUBLIC OF TEA RULES
When it comes to consumer products, packaging can distinguish your brand from your competitors. Like most consumer products, there are many choices and lots of competition for space on the shelf in the marketplace. So, how does your product stand out? We are big tea drinkers....
Why Real-Time Face-to-Face Communication is Essential to Sales
PASSION AND STORY TRUMP FEATURES AND BENEFITS
People buy with their heart and justify with their brain. If you believe that, as we do, you must be sincerely excited about what it is you are selling. Sure, you can get excited about the features and benefits, but what captures people's attention is your...
When it Comes to Creativity, Let Sales Direct Marketing
RESPECT THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE MARKETPLACE
Creativity in the Real World We were recently asked by an MBA marketing grad, “How can I successfully use the creative skills I have learned in the real world?” We responded with the biggest lesson we learned while building the Barefoot wine brand. It’s the lesson...
7 Elements for Successful Merchandizing Materials
WHY SHOULD I BUY THIS?
Whether you call it point-of-purchase (POP) or point-of-sale (POS), interpretive signage that distinguishes your brand is a must. Especially in consumer goods, these signs are the final chance you have to sell your brand’s products. Some are located on the shelf (known as shelf-talkers), or on...
8 Brand Building Seasonal Selling Opportunities – Part 2
ANTICIPATION IS HALF THE FUN
Seasonal selling can give your marketing and merchandising programs a “bandwagon” effect that can significantly boost sales if executed correctly. Pull out a calendar and use it as a guide to plan your marketing activities. Take advantage of the various selling seasons that are coming our...
8 Brand Building Seasonal Selling Opportunities – Part 1
SALE WITH THE RISING TIDE
Seasonal selling is like sailing with the tides. It gives your salesman-ship the flow and clearance it needs to most effectively get underway. As any seasoned sailor will tell you, if you try to fight the tide you’ll just get hung up on the sandbar. When...
4th Quarter Consumer Spending Predicts the New Year’s Economy
DON’T SPOOK THE CUSTOMER!
Whether we call it the fourth quarter, OND (October, November, December) or the holiday shopping season, current consumer spending actually trumps all other indicators for the future of the economy. When holiday sales are down, we repeatedly see a year with slower growth. When holiday sales...
New Brands Must Survive Repeated Murder Attempts
THE BRAND THAT WOULD NOT DIE
Since it's Halloween, we thought we’d share a scary brand story. For the first five years of our brand’s existence, we had to survive various attempts to kill it. Even after that, we had to be constantly vigilant to protect it from threats to its very...
Sales Tips That Work!
THE BEST SALES PERSON IS “THE ASSISTANT BUYER”
Probably the best sales advice we ever got was to act like an “assistant buyer”. You can’t act like an assistant buyer unless you know your buyer's needs, history, budget, problems, and successes. You have to know what she is going to do with your product...