Amazon likes Deliveroo, so much so the company has offered to invest £385m into the food delivery company. Encouragingly for Amazon the Competition and Markets authority have indicated they were minded to approve the acquisition of a 16% stake with a final decision due soon. Covid-19 has undoubtedly accelerated the consumer move to online apps... Continue Reading →
The Starbucks share price has risen by almost 50% in 2019 with annual revenue growing 8% year on year to $6.82 billion. CNN Business recently observed that “every Starbucks growth strategy is working." The core global café business has grown 6%. Starbucks now has 30,600 stores in China and by partnering with Uber Eats and... Continue Reading →
Two years ago Kraft Heinz audaciously tried to takeover Unilever. It was a move that put both companies strategies and growth prospects into the spotlight. As former Unilever CEO Paul Polman summarised, it was a "clash between a long-term, sustainable business model for multiple stakeholders and a model ...entirely focused on shareholder primacy." With Kraft Heinz's... Continue Reading →
Coca-Cola’s surprise purchase of Costa Coffee, the world's no.2 coffee chain, is an intriguing move for a business that has no track record as a retailer. The price of £3.9 billion (16 times Costa's annual earnings) suggests Coca-Cola see a big opportunity. So should Starbucks, the leading global coffee chain, be scared? Room for two... Continue Reading →
Volvo is a brand and business doing well in a challenging industry. Increasingly recognised as a premium brand, Volvo has enjoyed a fifth consecutive year of record sales and has won its first European Car of the Year award in 2018. Purchased by Geely Holdings in 2010 Volvo sold 90,417 vehicles in China last year —... Continue Reading →
The new MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE film looks like a big success. Audience reviews are extremely positive and the indications are that this will the biggest grossing film for the franchise. After 22 years and 6 instalments the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE brand health and sales are strong. There is no doubt the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE brand has been carefully managed. But, as... Continue Reading →
Since the announcement of the proposed merger between Sainsbury & Asda attention has rightly focused on the aim to "lower prices by c.10 per cent on many of the products customers buy regularly." What also caught my attention was the significant role Argos seems to play in the strategic fit for both Sainsbury and Walmart. ... Continue Reading →
Product innovation is an expensive and risky business. Consumer reluctance to change behaviour, retailer resistance to list or competitor retaliation can all lead to defeat. Powerful, well communicated claims are therefore an important part of the brand arsenal - an opportunity to present your brand as the winning choice with less risk, time and cost.... Continue Reading →
'Hybrid estate' agent Purple Bricks has increased UK instructions by 83% in the last 12 months and apparently are on-track to be market leader within 2 years. Key to this growth is a disruptive proposition that has been communicated with provocative, comparative advertising. Purple Bricks offers a low, fixed fee for marketing a property – a distinct... Continue Reading →
When innovating to deliver growth I have noticed a tendency for teams to start with product ideation and then progress to packaging as a support for their product ideas. But with the pack first to engage shoppers and usually representing a fraction of the cost of product the risk is that significant profitable growth opportunities... Continue Reading →
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