2000 years ago, the satirist Juvenal coined the phrase ‘Bread and Circuses’ to chastise the Roman populace. He observed that they were being distracted from their civic responsibilities by a steady diet of food and entertainment. The gladiatorial displays the government put on are a good example of this. In a strange twist, today's politicians...
Read MorePersonalization and Matching. Dating apps use algorithms to match potential partners based on interests, behaviours, likes and dislikes* (see the last newsletter for more of these dislikes). B2B marketing can leverage market research to determine the same sorts of criteria and create the best possible match between buyer and seller....
Read MoreDepending on who you ask, Market Research can mean focus groups, data analysis, demographic studies, customer surveys and any number of things. But no matter how it’s defined, it typically looks at a group of potential buyers and tries determine if they could be convinced to buy your product or
Read MoreAre you: We have all heard the term Market Research and most often associate it with one of those bloated, generic reports that are tirelessly marketed on line. I will admit that even we succumb, occasionally, to their lure – only to be disappointed by the lack of applicability to the specific subject of interest. No matter what industry you...
Read MoreSome companies soar to greatness while others plod along, slow and steady; steady that is until the world shifts and they become obsolete… Consider the lobster. The lobster has a tough exoskeleton that protects it from predators. It lets it live a relatively safe and steady life. However, that safety comes with a big downside - it can't grow. As...
Read MoreMany years ago, a shoe-maker sent his best sales-person to a developing country to see if there was a market for shoes. He reported back, “The market is terrible – no one wears shoes”. Not being sure if this was true, the shoe-maker sent a consultant to double check, “The market is fantastic”, he reported, “No one wears
Read MoreStanding out and capturing attention can be difficult, especially when you're introducing a new product in a market where there are dozens of similar offerings. How do you find the right buyers and how do they find you. The larger the number of buyers, the more competitors you’ll have to face. A great way to solve this problem is to use a Wedge...
Read MoreThe Chagres River feeds 2 billion gallons of fresh water each day into the 82km Panama Canal to move the immense cargo ships through the channel. The canal carries about 6% of the worlds trade. It’s forecast that a 6-foot drop in its water levels is likely by the end of July. This means that the vessels can only carry 60% of a full load and sail...
Read MoreWe’ve helped hundreds of companies take new products into new markets and when I say new products, I don’t mean a slightly better ‘me too’ product, but ones that completely change the way things have been done up till then. This includes tomato bio-char, de-pyrolysis of used tires, smart home grids, GPS farming, and many
Read MoreI recently met with two CEOs who shared that one of their worst mistakes was hiring a senior sales executive to help them launch their new products. Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? New product, new market – hire a really good salesperson to lead the way. Unfortunately, it never works out
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