On Your Own Time
IRI’s Tom Blischok
IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT, IT BEHOOVES EVERY CPG COMPA-
NY TO TRY TO BOOST RETURNS ON ITS INNOVATION INVEST- MENTS. Yet despite launching tens of thousands of products every year, the industry has long struggled to develop true innovations. Here are concrete suggestions for achieving break-through offerings.
A MATTER OF RIGHTING THE FUNNEL.................................................................... 70
‘WHAT DOES OUR BRAND REALLY ADD BESIDES COST?’ This is the core question for CPG companies, in the face of rising costs, recession, new media choices to make, consumers who refuse to hear or heed our messages to spend on our products, says Don Schultz, professor, The Medill School, Northwestern University and President, Agora, Inc.
SHOULD YOU PHASE OUT THE PHASE GATE?.................................................. 88
IT’S A SITUATION ALL TOO FAMILIAR TO CPG LEADERS: Your phase gate-driven product development project is behind schedule, understaffed, and over budget. And if past is prologue, the product will flop in the field. What’s the problem? What’s the fix?
‘PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES’ are just the beginning of this Renaissance Man’s hobbies, interests and involvements. Where does he find the time for all this –– and CPG, too? Says he,
“There’s plenty of time. When you’re dead, there’s no time. But while you’re alive, there’s always time.” ......... 136
THROUGH BETTER TRADE PROMOTION EFFICIENCY AND EFFEC-
TIVENESS, YOU CAN TRANSFORM YOUR SALES ORGANIZATION to drive profitable growth — often adding 10-15 percent to bottom-line operating results on an ongoing basis. The rewards are significant –– a 15-percent improvement in ROI, and great impact on your overall profit. How?
SEVEN KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER............................................................. 102
IT’S TIME FOR EVERY CPG PLAYER TO WEAN ITS PEOPLE OFF THE EXCEL SPREADSHEET, and to graduate to professional trade promotion management. Yes, with any TPM package out there come warts. But that’s no excuse for inaction. So how do you decide which vendor and package is right for you?
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