Every year in Q1, the Consumer Analyst Group NY (CAGNY) hosts a weeklong conference where leading CPGs share current performance metrics and strategies for the year’s balance in hopes of winning investors’ confidence and wallets. Last year, macro themes at the event largely centered on cost savings and pricing strategies to assure investors that these companies would maintain margins. While many of these moves were necessary, they led to a year many CPGs would like to forget. 2024’s CAGNY event just wrapped up, and I can confidently say there is light at the end of the tunnel, as most companie ..read more

If you’re in the tech industry, you know how important it is to keep up with the latest trends, innovations, releases, and competitors. How do you verify how your competitors are developing and positioning their solutions, and how they compare to yours? That’s where competitive product intelligence becomes a competitive advantage.   Competitive product intelligence is the process of gathering, analyzing and using information about your competitors’ products to gain a strategic advantage. It helps you understand how your product stacks up against the alternatives in terms of: – Feature fun ..read more

To many competitive intelligence practitioners out there, a primary-based intelligence deep dive request from a stakeholder, teammate, or senior leader can be daunting.Where should I begin? How am I going to obtain the data I need? What if there are gaps? In my 15+ years leading competitive intelligence studies on both the vendor and client side, these are questions I’ve asked myself. But during this time, I’ve evolved my strategies to resemble the same strategy that most of us use in putting a puzzle together. This tried-and-true method has worked for me countless times, and I hope these tips ..read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Burlington, VT – January 8, 2024 – Fletcher, a leading competitive and market intelligence firm, announces a change in leadership for its Life Sciences practice. Tina Witte, formerly Senior Associate Director, will assume the role of Senior Vice President of Life Sciences, on January 8th. Tina Witte brings over 12 years of experience in the Life Sciences industry to her new role. Her expertise lies in executing market research initiatives, leading global market and competitive assessments, and modernizing data intelligence practices. Witte has a proven track record of suc ..read more

Looking back, 2023 has been a year to remember, and not in a good way, for most insurers. There were some early indicators in auto lines 2022 that 2023 would be difficult, but few foresaw the many natural and man-made events of 2023 and how those events would affect carriers. Historic inflation levels impacted the repair and replacement cost, parts/labor shortages from 2022 persisted, and multiple environmental disasters all contributed to combined ratios not seen in decades. The impact required carriers to react quickly and position to rebound in 2024; these reactions can be best compared to ..read more

Looking back, 2023 has been a year to remember, and not in a good way, for most insurers. There were some early indicators in auto lines 2022 that 2023 would be difficult, but few foresaw the many natural and man-made events of 2023 and how those events would affect carriers. Historic inflation levels impacted the repair and replacement cost, parts/labor shortages from 2022 persisted, and multiple environmental disasters all contributed to combined ratios not seen in decades. The impact required carriers to react quickly and position to rebound in 2024; these reactions can be best compared to ..read more

Why is My Share of the Shelf Shrinking? Utilizing Win/Loss Methodologies for CPG Sales Enablement By Patrick Sturgeon, VP Financial Services   Many consumers of grocery staplergo with leading retailers. While engagements for large manufacturers can last all year long through category management relationships, often the manufacturer’s best chance at expanding their share of the shelf comes during annual joint business planning (JBP) sessions. While a lot goes into these sessions, at the end of the day they are a business-to-business transaction, and as such benefit from regular win/loss a ..read more

Translating Data into Action: The Product Marketing Research Presentation Guide By Mark Gigliotti, VP Technology Consulting In the dynamic landscape of product marketing, a keen understanding of consumer behavior, competitive dynamics, and market trends is critical. Crafting successful strategies is rooted in the ability to uncover, interpret, and apply insights from research effectively. This guide outlines a structured approach to presenting your findings through three probing questions: What have we learned? What does it mean? And, what should we do next? 1. What Have We Learned? Initiate ..read more

On October 12, 2023, Fletcher took center stage at the 19th Proagrica Annual Integration Meeting in Cologne to discuss their latest white paper on a subject of pivotal importance: the digitization of agri-food supply chains. With a lineup of esteemed speakers, the conference highlighted the urgent need for resilient and sustainable domestic and international supply chains, emphasizing the transformative role of digitalization. A Continuous Digital Voyage As iterated during the conference, digitalization in agriculture and food is not a finite goal but an enduring journey—one that continuously ..read more

By Tina Witte Sr. Associate Director, Life Sciences Fletcher Given the sheer volume and variety of news stories, coupled with the growing body of AI-powered platforms and solutions in healthcare, the utility of AI (and Machine Learning, ML) made this subject area among the most discussed this year in market and competitive intelligence circles. This was further demonstrated by the prevalence of AI-associated sessions at this year’s US Pharma CI conference. In fact, the Director and I delivered a presentation at that same venue on how tools such as AI can and should be incorporated as part of ..read more