Futures Coaching

Asian Growth Strategies: How are corporates going East?

What do VW, Yum Brands, Deutsche Bank, University College London and McCann Worldwide have in common? All have aggressive growth strategies for Asia.

Find out what Volkswagen are going to do with €14billion and why we'll see 600 new KFCs and Pizza Huts in China by year end. And discover a major Western brand who has withdrawn from China.

It's all in this 5 minute presentation here.

 

Silent Retailing: How this is about to change

I was asked to look at the future of retailing by real estate services giant, Jones Lang LaSalle. My study took a couple of intensive months to complete and involved over 30 experts. One of the themes treated in the final report was The End of Silent Retailing.

Jones Lang LaSalle have put significant marketing effort behind the 'Retail2020' Report and I'd invite anyone wanting to find out more to visit their website retail2020.com

Meantime, as an appetiser, find out why I think retail has been silent over the years and why this is about to change fundamentally over the next 5 Download The End of Silent Retailing

 

Extreme Buying: one of the Growth Stories of our age

Consumers describe the feeling in many different ways: "a rush of blood to the head"; "a moment of madness"; "letting off steam". Whatever the phrase, the impulse is always the same - to forget about austerity and do something which feels sooooo good. 

In boom times, purchasing became a habit; today it's more a surprise! "I just popped in for stockings and came out with a new outfit and matching handbag". 

What Extreme Buying describes is a trend where a liberated social context meets human weakness. And brands can learn how to profit from these moment of madness.

The trend and its drivers are described here.

 

 

Chinese entrepreneurialism : is there anything more dynamic in business today?

The Chinese growth miracle has been founded upon the entrepreurial energy and vision of an elite class of business people. But who are they? In this 'Asia 5' presentation, I identify 4 different profiles of entrepreneur in today's China.

Look out for my analysis of what drives them, and what's holding them back. 

One thing is sure: the world has only just begun to feel the effects of their dynamic approach to business. 

Read more here.

 

How the Chinese innovate

Here we look the Chinese attitudes to innovation. The rules and the principles guiding resource allocations. For example, why is short term a bigger concern than long term innovation? And why do Chinese innovators emphasise process over product? Find out more about the successful innovation mindset Here.

The Philippines : hidden potential about to be discovered

The Philippines is one of the most western of Asian countries. A huge nation of English speaking Christians who adore America, Goldman Sachs predict phenomenal economic growth in the decades ahead.

Find out more about the potential of this 'Pearl of the Orient Sea' - and what is holding it back - by clicking onto my Slideshare presentation here.

 

10 Levers for Growth in Healthcare Markets

Ever wanted to know more about the economic potential of silicon nipples? Or why growing new teeth will be the next new thing in dentistry? Ever wondered who might be the real beneficiaries of the ipad (hint: they generally have grey hair, poor eyesight and cannot manage those fiddly buttons on a mobile phone).

My latest 'Growth Story' focuses on healthcare and how to grow healthy profits in an industry which is currently under enormous cost pressures. To reveal 10 growth insights, roll over here.

 

Fame Asia: 10 Stars and their marketing appeal

London auction house chairman Simon de Pury wrote: "In the art world, like in the business world, decades of 'westernisation' are rapidly being replaced by an 'easternisation'". 

But what happens when Asian art meets the business world? My latest analysis of Asian culture has revealed just how marketing savvy are today's hot generation of musicians, designers, sports stars and actors.

So if you want to know what Li-Ning, Bi Rain, Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan have in common, think brand before anything else! See how slick they are here. It will take just 5 minutes to take in.

 

 

The Indian Growth Story

I don't know about you, but I've seen very little of India - I seem to have spent most of my time in airports. Those who know it better, almost universally, think of it as a fascinating, sensorial, stimulating place.

I have a feeling I'll be going much more in the future, given the phenominal growth which lies ahead. Goldman Sachs forecast that the Indian economy will expand, no less than 30 times to 2050. Yes, not 13; I really did mean 30!!

So, what explains this potential, and what might hold India's prospects back? If you've 5 minutes to invest, look here. You'll be amazed.

When 'cool' rhymes with 'fool' : the problem with trend scouting

I first posted this in March 2009 during the last recession. Since Europe looks to be entering a new period of negative growth, I've dusted it off.....

You know, when you've been kicking around in the trends arena for more years than you care to remember, you get to see most things and become aware of most methodologies. It's a case of the good, the bad and the ugly.

Of course, what matters is what works. And what works, for me, is what improves clients' decision making. And, as we all know, better decisions generate more sales and profits.

Put another way, to avoid decisions which destroy value, marketers should avoid bad trends emanating from bad methodologies like the plague. Which brings me to trend scouting.

Sometimes Trend forecasters like to sniff out small adjustments in the way people are thinking or behaving and postulate that this 'new way' will go mass market at some stage in the future.

To be honest, this so called 'weak signals' or trend scouting approach is pretty hit or miss. For every new emerging trend that actually becomes something bigger across society, many more whither and die. In fact they probably weren't an 'emerging trend' in the first place - merely the personal fixation of a particular trend watcher.

Your favourite trend watcher likes technology? Hey presto the future of the world and everything in it becomes a product of weak signals in technology. Or perhaps the world will be entirely shaped by emerging signals pointing to his/her favourite 'post materialist' values.

Cruelly, but rather pertinently, Malcolm Gladwell had this to say about this 'cool hunter' approach to trend spotting:

"Coolhunting is not a coherent philosophy. It's just a collection of spontaneous observations and predictions that differ from one moment to the next and from one coolhunter to the next." (Malcolm Gladwell. The Coolhunt: Annals of Style)

I was put in mind of this because we are at a HUGE inflection point across global societies and across all realms - social, political, economic, technological.

My point? Why go searching in the corners for the outliers, for the 'bad' micro trends? Today, you should be looking at the macro. These are so significant for the future of brands and so obvious as to be in-your-face?

So, forget the foolish trend scouts. Your brands' future prosperity lies in unbundling the massive changes that are afoot. See them and reap!