Month: September 2012

  • Are you the pig or the chicken?

    There is an old East Texas saying: “Are you the pig or the chicken?” This is in reference to the breakfast meal with bacon and eggs … the chicken is part of the meal but the pig is really committed. I have used this analogy many times in discussing business models with wholesalers and suppliers. […]

  • You can’t win it on Thursday but you sure can lose it!

    In professional golf it takes 72 holes to win a tournament, the Thursday round can put one in position, either to win or plan on an early exit. I’ve visited hundreds of wholesalers, and many, especially in recent years, have described their business model as “brand builders.” Really? My former Brand Director (MBA-International Marketing, 30+ years in the […]

  • It’s not your fathers’ beer….

    When I purchased the 7th largest Schlitz operation located in the Rio Grande Valley in early 1981, Schlitz was still the #1 brand in the market. Over the next several years, however, the Mexican trade was lost due to a massive devaluation of the peso; the area was hit by the worst freeze in 100 […]

  • When priced so no one will buy it, what good does it do?

    There is a lot of talk about the upcoming price increases and their effects on the market. I’ve have received e-mails from several of you regarding this round of increases as Nielsen All Channel scans show volumes flat, but pricing up 2.7%. In fact, volumes have dropped from +1.2% to flat over the last year. […]