Thinking, How Ernesto Schmitt Thinking, How Ernesto Schmitt

Zippy, Lithe and Disposable

Why turning new product development on its head is the challenger way

Back in the inebriated days of 2003, when Yahoo ruled search and Myspace was all the rage, technology products were mostly developed like the Pyramids of Giza: grand designs springing from a founders’ visionary foresight, long in planning and epic in the build. Fast forward to the present, and it’s widely accepted that grand designs and waterfalls are not the way to build technology products that consumers love. Remarkably, the same is emerging as the knock-out model for challenger brands in consumer goods.

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Thinking, How Jonathan Miller Thinking, How Jonathan Miller

Stores We Love

What DTC brands can learn from great stores around the world

It’s great direct to consumer (DTC) brands are opening a small number of new physical stores around the world. But a lot of them could be better. Stores can feel soulless and vacant, displays don’t survive first contact with customers, and so on. We identify things we can learn from a handful of great stores around the world.

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Thinking, How Jonathan Miller Thinking, How Jonathan Miller

Physical Retail is Dead. Or is it?

How physical stores can be good for your brand, even if everyone else is struggling.

Stores are closing in their thousands across the world, and yet there are direct to consumer (DTC) brands opening a small number of physical stores. Companies like Allbirds and Deciem/ The Ordinary.

Physical stores can make financial sense, increasing sales in the region and purchases by loyal customers. More powerfully, they can be the embodiment of the brand for customers and the business itself. But crucially, don’t open too many of them.

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