By Dave Wendland, vice president strategic relations, as seen in Drug Store News “Stop fighting, start inviting.” Perhaps this mantra that I dreamt up during the recent Drug Store News Industry Issues Summit was a bit too harsh and suggested that outright “fighting” was occurring across our industry. But, to be honest, throughout my nearly three decades working … Read More
By Dave Wendland, CommunityVoice for Forbes Agency Council, as appeared on Forbes.com October 9, 2019 Reflecting on the days when I was performing as an improvisational actor and leading a ragtag troupe in San Diego, I was reminded of the similarities between improv and effective business collaboration. Although it seems that there has been much debate about the … Read More
By Jen Johnston, senior marketing services account manager, as seen in Chain Drug Review Ingredient trends come and go, and sometimes they have staying power. This year, five ingredients have been on my radar — elderberry, coconut oil, charcoal, melatonin and CBD. In Europe, elderberry has been used for centuries, but in the U.S. it’s been … Read More
By Jen Johnston, senior marketing services account manager, as seen in Mass Market Retailers The term “clean label” has been bouncing around since at least 2010. Originally the term described foods and drinks that contained fewer — and “cleaner” — ingredients. This emphasis on clean ingredients has spilled over into beauty. Research by Linkage Research … Read More
By Jen Johnston, senior marketing services account manager, as seen in Chain Drug Review Today’s product landscape is highly competitive. Speed-to-market continues to be an important product launch factor, but it isn’t everything. Often, overly eager companies introduce a new CPG item too quickly while overlooking critical steps that could prevent costly mistakes. In fact, according … Read More
By Dave Wendland, vice president strategic relations, as seen in Drug Store News Before I started my series focused on curated solutions, I enrolled to become part of the Stitch Fix craze. For those unfamiliar with this Wall Street darling, Stitch Fix was inspired by the new vision of a client-first, client-centric way to approach retail. … Read More
By Megan Moyer, senior marketing communications specialist, as seen in Mass Market Retailers This isn’t a new or novel recommendation — it’s been suggested for years, long before Amazon became one of the driving forces for innovation in retail. Now, however, it seems even more critical to success and winning customers and sales. For the … Read More
By Dave Wendland, CommunityVoice for Forbes Agency Council, as appeared on Forbes.com July 25, 2019 Value stream mapping (VSM) is a business management tool that documents the steps needed to take a project from inception to customer delivery. Often associated with Lean Six Sigma practices, the tool helps users take a fresh look at established processes. As with … Read More
By Dave Wendland, vice president strategic relations, as seen in Drug Store News New parents face a number of experiences that they have not yet encountered. Among them is the challenge of making informed choices of what types of products they may need to not only care for their little one, but also prepare their home … Read More
By Jen Johnston, senior marketing services account manager, as seen in Mass Market Retailers The retail landscape is rapidly evolving. Consumer expectations related to technology, novelty, convenience and experience are driving the movement. Those businesses that refuse to innovate are being met with dwindling profits and store closures. However, many stores are taking informed leaps … Read More