Current Topic: Strategy

People in general are creatures of habit. We get attached to buying the same products from the same brands over and over again. For example: what happens to our favorite brand of chips, cosmetics or electronics when the brand/product undergoes a change. A change in packaging or a change in brand name could have a big impact on the way consumers perceive the product/brand. Will the old trusty chips, that you once called your favorite, still be the same after a change?

It’s every company’s worst nightmare: a product recall. Unfortunately, most consumer brands will be pulled out of the store shelves at least once in their lifetime.

What does a brand stand to do when its frozen pizzas are pulled from the store shelves because it makes people vomit? Sitting with the baked pears (which is a Dutch saying for: to just leave the bad situation as it is), won’t help them. It’s wiser to have a clear post-recall strategy in place, beforehand. But how to devise such a strategy?

What is the real price of your clothing? Getting your hands on a six dollar t-shirt is inexpensive, but who actually pays for it?

Recently, a clothing factory in Bangladesh collapsed, instantly killing thousands of low-wage workers. The disaster caused public outcry; never again shall we buy from brands that expose people to such miserable circumstances. Yet in reality, Primark remains one of Europe’s most popular clothing outlets.