Caroline Baume

Happy to share some insights and reflect upon one of the challenges for business in a rapidly changing consumer environment: to turn something physical into something meaningful! #rubychocolate #IRSummit2024 #InnovationRoundtable #InnovationSummit #CorporateInnovation #MarketingSummit

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Do you know how your competitors are positioning themselves in the market? With 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 deals and 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 festivities around the corner, the holiday season is the perfect time for indulgence—and chocolate is leading consumer spending trends during this festive period! Our report analyzes the performance of 10 leading chocolate brands and highlights the trends capturing audience attention: ✅ 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀: TikTok and Instagram are essential for connecting with younger audiences. ✅ 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: Brands like Feastables are outperforming traditional giants by focusing on fewer, high-impact posts. ✅ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀: Organic and sustainable products are winning loyalty from socially-conscious consumers. 👉 Why does this matter? Decision-makers need actionable insights to craft effective digital marketing strategies. This report delivers exactly that—a detailed analysis backed by real data. 📊 Stay ahead of the competition! Empower your team to make informed decisions in the U.S. market with our full report. Click the link in comments to learn more! #blackfriday #christmas #dataintelligence #dataanalyses #chocloteindustry #holidayseason

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Is premiumization of (cost-of-living-stressed) consumers with incremental innovations the best way to grow for #CPG players? As all #FMCG companies are doubling down on organic growth, most are accelerating their innovations machine, often with premium priced innovations. That could end up being a large resources misallocation (dilution of scarce shelf space, marketing investments, supply chain & organizational resources) & a major strategic misstep for many At a time the largest threat is de-consumption, more premium priced innovations will just not cut it The painful truth is that too many FMCG marketing organizations do not own the 4Ps and are solely focused on ‘global innovations/ marketing campaigns’. Then the organizational bias/ 'default setting' is to try to solve all brands’ problems with those two levers (global product innovations & media) In the current context, those could be deadly mistakes We continue to be amazed by the little resources that get into: i) Generally, understanding rigorously Consumers, esp. their barriers/ drivers/ triggers/ 4Ps preferences ii) Specifically understanding what: - The Heavy Consumers have in common/ try to recruit more of them - Are the addressable lapse/ non-users’ barriers iii) Leveraging strategic segmentation to identify under-served segments & craft ownable strategies to address them iv) Rethinking how to recruit/ retain Consumers with innovative marketing/ point of market entry strategies Etc… Marketing leaders need to have a holistic view on what are the levers across all the 4Ps that will drive the most disruptive return There will be no sustainable (volume) growth outperformance in many FMCG organizations without strenghtening the Marketing Function & giving them formally full 4Ps ownership. That goes against the last decade Doxa but it is essential 𝗧𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 (𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲) 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 & 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: FMCG CEOs: Managing Finally For Sustainable (Volume) Growth Or How To Stop Shrinking To Glory - From ZBB to ZBG® (Zero-Based-Growth) https://lnkd.in/eG62xkNE To receive the corresponding deck, pl. leave your name in comment To get all our insights, follow us/ subscribe to our CEOs newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eR8vDpvE #strategy Frederic Fernandez & Associates

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Discover the Secret Behind Red Bull's Market Domination Unravel the psychological strategies that Red Bull uses to overcome market research scores. Learn how scarcity and loss aversion biases contribute to the success of this powerful energy drink. Find out why Red Bull gives you wings and makes you last longer on the dance floor. #RedBullMarketing #MarketDomination #ScarcityBias #LossAversionBias #EnergyDrink #PsychologyofConsumption #PowerfulFormula #WingsForYou #NightClubLife #DancingFuel

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Excited to announce our latest whitepaper uncovering consumer behaviour 🎯 shaping the beer industry 🍺 Dive into the pulse of the market with insights on four key trends: 1. I’m worth it: Discover how consumers are seeking premium experiences and are willing to pay more for those 2. The real deal: Learn why people go for products they trust, and what this means for beer brands 3. Better for you: Uncover the shift towards healthier choices in consumption, and how breweries are responding 4. Break from routine: Find out why people want to be surprised and excited and what’s new in beer Download our free whitepaper 🎓 now and stay ahead in the game! https://lnkd.in/eKkKnMpa #BeerTrends #ConsumerInsights #Whitepaper

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150 YEARS OF WHATEVERKEN – HEINEKEN (LEPUB MILAN) Retrofitting Brief ------------------ Finding: Heineken is the most misspelled beer brand in the world. Consumer Problem: For the past 150 years, people have been misspelling the HEINEKEN brand, thinking it’s a German beer and calling it Hineken, Haneken, or Heneken. Some even drink it with a straw! Brand Truth: What matters to HEINEKEN is that people are having a good time with their beer, no matter how they spell it. Strategy: Turn people's mistakes into global celebrations. Consumer Goal: Make people see Heineken as a symbol of freedom celebration. Link: https://lnkd.in/gqzGefu3

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What's the difference between brand differentiation vs distinctiveness? I just watched a brilliant Mark Ritson video on this... While distinctiveness (the unique look and feel of your brand) is crucial, it's just one piece of the differentiation puzzle. Ryan France of Kantar also shared his research which shows there are four leading ways to effectively differentiate in the market. The most successful brands leverage at least a few of these strategies: 1️⃣ Distinctiveness (iconic visual identity like Louis Vuitton) 2️⃣ Leadership (category-defining innovation like Tik Tok) 3️⃣ Emotive Clarity (consistent emotional storytelling like Disney) 4️⃣ Functional Benefits (unique flavor profiles like Doritos) While distinctiveness is important — genuine value comes from resonating with consumers in two or more of these ways. "LiMu Emu" - Distinctive "Like a Good Neighbor", "Personal Price Plan" - Differentiated Worth noting that "perceived relative differentiation" is what truly matters here. It's not just about being different; it's about consumers actually recognizing and valuing those differences. For you other marketing nerds out there, check out the links to the full video and article in the comments below. #BrandStrategy #Marketing #Differentiation #BrandBuilding #MarketingStrategy — ♻ Repost to inspire your network to show up for others. ➕ Follow me (Nate Challen) for more like this.

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📉 Dutch brewer Heineken reported lower-than-expected operating profit and beer sales in its half-year results, leading to a 10% drop in its share price. CFO Harold van den Broek noted that the outlook was influenced by a weak performance in June and July in Europe. Cooler weather negatively affected Heineken's sales, and the anticipated boost from sporting events failed to occur. 📉 Heineken is not alone in experiencing a decline; Diageo has also missed expectations. Diageo has warned that financial difficulties might persist into next year after the company missed its full-year profit targets, causing shares to drop by over 9% to a four-year low. 📉 Similarly, Casamigos Tequila sales declined by 20% in Diageo’s full-year results, which stayed flat overall due to the performance in the Latin American and Caribbean region. 🌏 💡 In these challenging times, businesses need innovative solutions to thrive. Spiritrade can aid businesses by finding new routes to markets, ensuring they reach their full potential even in tough conditions. Reach out to Spiritrade today! #MarketUpdate #Heineken #Diageo #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #Spiritrade #NewMarkets #BusinessSolutions #GlobalTrade #B2B #BeverageIndustry ps://https://lnkd.in/dcVKvKHn

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Consumers are largely prioritizing value in today’s CPG landscape, but how can companies deliver differentiated products and services when the definition of value keeps changing? Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, and PepsiCo have all recently pointed to heightened consumer awareness of value in the U.S. market, according to recent earnings calls, responding with analytics-driven promotion strategies, adjusted price pack architecture, and new ways of communicating differentiated value. Learn more ➡ https://lnkd.in/ezxhUvEA #pricing #promotions #pricepack #consumergoods #colgate #pg #pepsico

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Delighted to share the latest insights from META confirming what many in the industry have long understood: performance marketing, while valuable, doesn't always yield the expected outcomes on its own. It's a crucial piece of the puzzle, but not the entire picture. #PerformanceMarketing #MarketingInsights #LongShort #BrandBuilding #Advertising #MediaStrategy

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𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 (>$𝟮𝟱𝗯𝗻) & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗠&𝗔 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 (𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 & 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 total 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗠&𝗔 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲!) Some could understand the rationales (complementary category & geographic footprint, at scale assets on savoury snacks) with significant potential synergies that would accelerate Mars journey into Snack This deal would be especially a good entry point into savoury snack that is the most attractive Snack category (largest, fastest growing, more profiable) with also a huge premium for scale. PepsiCo will appreciate And Mars has certainly both the balance sheet & the ownership structure to get this done But this transaction will have to beat the odds considering how difficult it is to deliver a return on mega deals (EV>$10bn) with most that ended up destroying shareholder value at scale in the FMCG industry over the last 15 years For more information, cf. our last M&A publication: 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀: 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮-𝟮𝟮 𝗠&𝗔 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗠&𝗔 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 https://lnkd.in/e_M7wisr Companies rarely die from starvation but rather from indigestion Time will tell for Mars Exciting times ahead 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝘀: FF&A solves the most complex strategic problems of the world largest FMCG companies across Corporate Strategy, Organic Growth, Digital RTM (Ecommerce, DTC and EB2B) and M&A. 14 out of the world 20 largest FMCG companies are repeat Clients To access all our thought leadership, follow us & subscribe to our FMCG CEO newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ea4gy65y #fmcg #cpg The Coca-Cola Company Nestlé PepsiCo Mondelēz International Kraft Heinz Unilever Ferrero The Hershey Company Lindt & Sprüngli Kellanova WK Kellogg Co https://lnkd.in/eP_9dqnN

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At Mars, the world we want tomorrow includes a healthy planet, thriving people, and wellbeing at the center. Today, and every day, I’m proud of the ways Mars Global Services (MGS) Associates around the world play a key role in executing our sustainability efforts at Mars. For example, working with our partners and segments, we are enabling operations to be more sustainable throughout our global supply chain. I hope you’ll join me in exploring the report, which offers a clear illustration of what large global enterprises can accomplish when guided by Purpose. Check out below Poul Weihrauch's post and how the world we want tomorrow does start with how we do business today. #proudlymars #tomorrowstartstoday #sustainableoperations #easierisbetter

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Jaguar launched this rebranding ad few days ago. Took the creative world and marketers by storm. Huge criticism. Jaguar boss came out defending the new strategy: current jaguars make them zero profit, they need to shake the norm, distant themselves from their current positioning and target totally new segments. Targeting younger audience and delving into the electronic vehicles domain. The ad got tons of publicity for Jaguar and ignited a large debate around the brand. From a strict marketing perspective the ad doesnt adhere to brand codes, appears as if it lost the jaguar brand essence, as if its scrubs the current brand and launches a new one. From a PR perspective got lots of negative heat. From a salience perspective it made a huge bang. Can a single ad make or destroy a brand with such heritage ? I dont believe so. Will this campaign eventually put Jaguar on the new route they are aiming for? To be seen, after seeing the whole campaign and how it settles down. In principle, it doesn't adhere to marketing standards of brand codes maintenance, its too daring and ambitious. One would think that its a totally different brand not just a drastic change in brand. Time would tell us how it will do though. For my own taste, the only aspect of the ad resonating with me, is the powerful slogan (Copy Nothing). Opens doors for so much that can be created. I would have chosen to adhere to the brand essence while doing so though.

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Interesting perspective on the challenges & opportunities faced by the CPG industry in Bains CPG Report. As consumers continue navigating high prices, profitable volume growth is much harder to find. The good news is that brands who truly have unique, relevant, compelling propositions will thrive in such an environment. In times like this, consumers are hyper-critical with each dollar they spend, which tends to expose those brands that don't offer anything unique but have maintained growth through scale. Consumers are rapidly moving to lower priced brands/private label for non-differentiated products but are still willing to pay a premium for brands offering something truly unique. This is a great environment for smaller, challenger brands that inherently tend to be closer to emerging consumer needs. Much harder for large CPG brands that are anchored down by past propositions and volume bases. Profitable growth is still out there. Having products in your portfolio that address emerging needs while partnering with retail customers that are also seeking to address such needs will keep brands out of the price competition space and position them where consumers are willing to pay extra for their offerings. Couple that with an operating model tailored to deliver on the proposition and you have successful market share expansion while maintaining profit margins. #CPG #VolumeGrowth #ConsumerInsight https://lnkd.in/gG3dhCG5

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🛒63% of consumers want brands to play an active role in educating them about sustainable products, according to a recent survey. With the growing consumer consciousness of #FoodWaste and the environmental impact of food products, retailers and other food industry players have a golden opportunity to build loyalty. In our latest expert perspective, Kees Jacobs explores how the food industry can proactively respond to evolving customer expectations, educate and guide them in making sustainable choices, and reap the benefits. Read the full article 👉 https://bit.ly/4bWgD8p This article builds on our Food for Thought white paper, the latest in our ReThink series. Explore the paper here 👉 https://bit.ly/3wWKPBr

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Three major brewing groups dominate the global beer market: AB InBev based in Belgium, The HEINEKEN Company based in Amsterdam, and the Carlsberg Group based in Copenhagen. 🏆 Anheuser-Busch InBev is the largest brewing group worldwide, surpassing Heineken by almost double and Carlsberg by five times. AB InBev boasts a wide portfolio of over 500 brands including Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, and more. 💰 AB InBev's EBITDA is three times that of Heineken and eight times that of Carlsberg. 🥇 With a 55% Gross Margin, AB InBev aligns more with consumer packaged goods giants like Nestlé and Coca-Cola than its beer sector counterparts. 📈 AB InBev has shown significant growth with a 5% CAGR over the last 5 years, outpacing Nestlé and Coca-Cola. 🚀 Heineken has experienced faster growth than AB InBev in the past 5 years, while Carlsberg has seen minimal growth. AB InBev's inception in 2004 from the merger of Belgian Interbrew and Brazilian Ambev has shaped the industry significantly. 📊 AB InBev claims a significant market share and profit pool globally. 📱 Digital innovation is a key pillar of AB InBev's strategy, with a substantial portion of revenue processed through digital platforms. Heineken and Carlsberg also play vital roles in the beer market with their unique brand portfolios and strategic approaches. The beer industry, part of the consumer packaged goods sector, continues to evolve with a focus on premiumization, non-alcoholic alternatives, and product innovation.

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