Something amazing is happening when it comes to food, nutrition and brands. After all the decades of low fat, no fat, fat free, fewer calories, Olean cookies and chips, keto-paleo-Atkins-South Beach diets, macrobiotics, vegetarianism, veganism, fruitarians and other dietary regimens, the CEO of Danone just informed us that “The food industry is at a tipping point: health, and the role food plays in health, will become more critical than ever.” All of a sudden, the...
There is a powerful conflict raging in brand management. This conflict reflects how brands define customer service. The conflict is a paradox that most brands have not yet solved: it is the paradox of DIM vs. DIFM: Do-It-Myself vs. Do-It-For-Me. At its heart, the DIM vs. DIFM paradox is about customer control.
What do McDonald’s, Target, Walgreen’s, McCormack, Applebee’s, Campbell’s, Kellogg’s and other national brands have in common today? Each is having a comeuppance. This is long overdue.
Recent data show that US fertility rates are dropping. US women are giving birth “at record low rates,” according to the CDC. Demographers’ current concern is the “replacement rate.” Replacement rate is the total fertility rate at which women give birth to enough babies to sustain population levels – that is, replace a generation. Replacement rate assumes that death rates remain constant and net migration is zero.
After Starbucks recent second quarter 2024 earnings call, founder and past three-time CEO Howard Schultz posted comments about his hand-picked successor’s strategy. Mr. Schultz reacted to statements made to analysts by Starbucks’ CEO, Laxman Narasimhan and CFO, Rachel Ruggeri, where both executives described Starbucks’ “underperformance.” Mr. Narasimhan and Ms. Ruggeri also handled analyst questions with an abruptness that seemed to leave a lot unsaid. Both Mr. Narasimhan and Ms. Ruggeri stated, however, that Starbucks is...
