The Competition You Don’t See – Part I
How unseen barriers shape outcomes more than named rivals How Competition Is Typically Understood Senior leaders are trained to think about competition in concrete terms: named competitors, market share shifts, pricing pressure, regulatory change, or new entrants....
Re-post: How Trader Joe’s Wins by Getting “Everything Wrong”
We’ve advised clients on many of the strategies Trader Joe’s deliberately ignored, including loyalty programs, app integrations and carefully timed promotions. And yet, by doing the opposite, Trader Joe’s turned those choices into a $16 billion empire and a fiercely...
When the search for “new” distracts from the disciplines that actually drive competitive advantage
The question may not be verbatim, but executives often ask us for solutions that are “New and different” in marketing in their sectors. It typically emerges when performance appears to plateau or competitors seem to be advancing. While reasonable, the question rests...
From Sentiment to Strategy: Gary’s Bid for the Bears Signals a New Playbook
Gary, Indiana isn’t just rebuilding; it’s repositioning. Many Americans still associate Gary with the rise and fall of the steel industry, along with the musical legacy of the Jackson 5. Today, however, Gary isn’t trying to win hearts. It’s trying to win market share....