We want to stop. To quiet the noise in our heads. To resist the urge and fight the impulse. To walk away without regret and longing. We are in a cultural moment when quieting cravings is the emerging through-line of life.
Most companies lose momentum because their best thinking cannot get through the organization. The strategy is understood in the room, but not in the field. The portfolio makes sense to leadership, but not to the channel. The value proposition is clear in the deck, but not in the sales conversation. The customer experience is discussed as a priority, but not built into the moments where choice, confidence, and conversion happen. This is where brand problems...
Growth is often celebrated as proof that an organization is moving in the right direction. More clients, more opportunities, more momentum, each reinforcing the belief that the organization is moving forward. All are typically read as signs of health, relevance, and success. Yet growth does not only expand an organization’s reach. It also expands the number of decisions that shape its future. Without a clear reference point, that expansion can quietly weaken the brand it...
Bain publishes a good analysis every year of so-called insurgent brands in the U.S. FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) market. For the past few years, these small brands have captured a disproportionate share of annual growth. This year’s analysis reports that in 2025 insurgent brands accounted for 36% of aggregate growth across all FMCG categories, which seems pretty impressive given that they comprise an aggregate share of less than 2%.
There may be no more important function within a brand-centric company than marketing to influence future financial (cash flow) success. Financial results are routinely explained by four drivers: volume, price, mix, and cost. Marketing’s effect on volume and price is well understood. Expressed most simply in economic terms, effective marketing increases brand preference, pushing the demand curve upward and to the right. The brand owner can then choose to capture this improvement as an increase in volume, an increase...
