The top consumer products insights from 2021 reflect the shared reality of an ever changing and always disrupting pandemic environment with consumers and brands alike navigating new ways of working and living. Below, I’ve highlighted just a few of our articles from 2021 focused on the consumer products industry. Click here to read more of our CP insights and subscribe to stay up to date.

Piecing Together the SIOP Process

Supply chain challenges and disruptions have been well-documented throughout 2021. As consumers put the pressure on manufacturers, supply chain leaders have been forced to reassess and re-evaluated tried and true processes in order to identify opportunities for greater resilience, adaptability, and speed. In this blog post, Clarkston Supply Chain Consultants Samantha Kaib and Madeline Smith dive deep into the Sales, Inventory, Operations Plan (SIOP) process and what it should look like in a consumer products business.

Macro Trends in Consumer Goods: Taking Stock with Mark Osborn

Trends in the consumer products industry have seemingly been introduced and then subsequently disrupted shortly after. At this breakneck pace of change, it can be difficult to take in the macro view and understand the overarching direction of the industry. In this episode of Clarkston’s Taking Stock podcast with Consumer Products Industry Lead and Partner Steve Rosenstock, Steve sits down with Global Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for Consumer Industries at SAP to discuss the macro trends in the industry and where it’s heading next.

Spans and Layers: A Primer for Leaner Organizations

As the realities of modern work continue to settle in, mandates from all sides are forcing businesses to reassess their organization structure for one that allows for greater speed and efficiency in the business. In this piece, Associate Partner Aaron Chio details Clarkston’s approach to a spans and layers analysis that allows businesses to better understand their organizational structure and how it can be adjusted to improve the organizational ability to adapt to change.

Bridging the Gap Between Customers and Brands with CX Design

Not too long ago, a digital presence was about just that – having a presence. Today, consumers have wildly evolved expectations around how a business presents itself virtually. Be it by desktop, mobile, watch, or somewhere in between, brands must take a consumer-centered approach that demonstrates an innate understanding. UX Designer and Clarkston Consulting Sara Morris covers key takeaways for brands in creating their digital identity in this piece.

DTC Discussions: Introduction to DTC and Business Goals

Brands were cautiously dipping their toes into the DTC waters pre-COVID. Needless to say, that has evolved into a much more robust and expansive approach to DTC in light of the realities of pandemic life. Adopting a DTC model has far-reaching implications across nearly all areas of the business. In this series, Clarkston Client Solution Executive and DTC expert Evan Shirley sits down with a range of DTC consultants to discuss the most critical areas of focus in adopting DTC to your business.

Optimizing Promotions: Taking Stock with Ryan Mulligan and Kyle McDonald

Beyond COVID, the paths to purchase have changed across nearly every industry and category. In this evolution, businesses have struggled to identify the best strategy for optimizing promotions effectively and consistently. In this episode of Taking Stock, Partner Steve Rosenstock sits down with Clarkston Sales and Marketing Consultants Kyle McDonald and Ryan Mulligan to discuss the new era of promotions in consumer products.