BRAND - Target Responds with Agility and Speed

Target Pushes Back with New Brands, Remodelled Stores and New Services. 

Target CEO Brian Cornell, the former CEO of Sam's Club, arrived to lead the Minneapolis retailer just four years ago. He has piloted the company through a crisis field of icebergs that would have felled many leaders. Cornell has been a proponent of moving faster and becoming more agile.

The rapid shift to online, as well as other changes to shopping habits, has been a huge challenge for many retailers. A large number of store closings and bankruptcies took place in the market last year. Target’s sales, which had been in a slump, are beginning to lift. The company saw growth of 3.4 percent in November and December. 

“We put a premium on speed and agility, but we also want to make sure we’re making the right choices,” Cornell said during an interview at Target’s bustling Nicollet Mall store, which has a sleeker look following a $10 million makeover. 

“We now have more of the proof points in place and we can accelerate. I think there’s been a great sense of urgency for four years now,” he said. “The difference is we’ve been very disciplined. I use the term ‘surgical’ in testing and validating before we roll things out.”

The Q4 Financials Reports have drawn criticism from some analysts. Cornell and other top Target executives revealed more of their strategic road map at the analysts meeting this morning. The CNBC report earlier today discusses this criticism in some detail.

“They have an ambitious agenda,” said Mark Miller of BlueView Investment, who has been following Target for two decades. “They’re starting to see payback from some of their initiatives. The challenges haven’t gone away, but they’re now able to speak more to” how they’re addressing them.

While the retail outlook is looking much brighter this year, Cornell said it will still be difficult for retailers who aren’t investing in their stores, employees and online infrastructure to make it. 

“There’s really no place for poorly run and highly leveraged retailers in this environment,” he said. “I think we’ll continue to see some of those retailers unfortunately close stores and potentially move to bankruptcy and liquidation. But for well-run retailers, I think there are significant opportunities in front of us.”

In December, Target bought Shipt and will add home delivery along with curbside delivery to Target stores this year. Shipt features one hour delivery from local grocery stores to your home. The ability to add delivery will help Target compete with the biggest threat to Target's sustainability, Amazon Prime.

Target Share Price

BRAND - Amazon Release Shows Amazing Growth in Illinois

On August 10, 2015 Amazon announced a first fulfillment center in Illinois

Since the initial building’s launch, Amazon has opened eight other fulfillment centers, two Prime Now hubs, an Amazon Fresh site, a sortation center, four delivery stations, an Amazon Books store, and a corporate office in the Prairie State.

This expansion has resulted in Amazon investing hundreds of millions of dollars into Illinois’s economy, both in fulfillment infrastructure and compensation to its 10,000 current employees. As a snapshot, according to a report by the company’s Economics team, Amazon’s investments in Illinois from 2014 through 2016 resulted in an additional $200 million to the state’s economy. Using Input-Output methodology and multipliers developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Amazon estimates its investments in the state have created an additional 7,000 indirect jobs on top of the company’s direct hires.

News Release

BRAND - Mars Petcare Dreams Big to Create a Better World for Pets and Customers

Leonid Sudakov, Mars Petcare on 21st Century Brand Connectivity at 2018 IAB Leadership Meeting

Published Feb 13, 2018 (4'06")

Mars Petcare is reshaping their business by becoming more consumer centric and daring to dream big. Building a better world for customers and their pets creates a win for everyone.

BRAND - Home Depot Develops Data Driven Culture.

Think with Google - How Home Depot Created a Data Driven Culture 

Michael Rowe is the VP of Marketing and e-Commerce for The Home Depot in Canada. He joined the company as VP of Finance in 2006 but soon recognized the changes in technology would allow him to contribute more success by bringing his number crunching, trend spotting acumen to e-Commerce.

Michael has created a new culture by providing support to 'associates' and partners who demonstrate an entrepreneurial approach to the clients they support in their areas of merchandise and subject matter expertise.

This approach has made them more relevant and supportive to the clients they serve.

Michael's advice:

"Be curious. Don’t accept the way things have always been done. Be open to change—and make change itself a competency". 

The article

BRAND - What is Changing the Brand Game?

No Name Merchandise and a Cohort of Buyers That Aren't Brand Conscious

The First Translucent Soap 1807

He needed a set of impact sockets. Picking up his smartphone he asked 'Google' for the best deal on impact sockets. What happened next amazed him. The first three entries were brands unknown to him but all  sold by Amazon.

Craftsman, a brand he trusted for lifetime warranty was near the bottom of the page. The rabbit hole got deeper as he was transferred from site to site. Eventually he read that Sears had sold Craftsman to Stanley Black and Decker early in 2017. He would need to find a retailer if he wanted to discover the price and acquire a Craftsman set.

Back to Amazon, he was able to order a full set of TekTon impact sockets with carrying case for C$88.00 with free delivery to his rural setting. Sure enough, two days later he picked up an Amazon box at Canada Post Office. The packaging was similar, the price was lower, the sockets worked fine and the convenience was surprising. This is an actual experience of InfoStream staff near Madden, Alberta.

This kind of episode is changing the retail game and moving buyers away from the well known brands and retailers to discover the best price and convenience they can find.

A brand or trademark has been highly valued by those who analyse and invest in businesses. This intangible asset is often recorded as 'goodwill' on the balance sheet. Here are the world's most valuable brands in 2017 as ranked by Forbes.

There are a number of reasons why the value of a brand has historically been very important: Brand reputation supported loyalty; Brand recognition influenced prospective buyers; and, Brand imaging differentiated competitors in a marketplace. However, it seems brand significance has changed for the empowered consumer. They are demonstrating they care more about discoverability, assistance, convenience and price.

Furthermore, name brands have far less influence than YouTube and other social media channels offering authentic story and DIY advice from the users of lesser known products and services. The impact of brand on the price and value complex has also diminished as Dollar Shave Club and Harry's have proven in the past 18 months. Gillette's pricing succumbed to stiff competition from these startups despite the 'recognized' value of the Procter and Gamble brand.

Another large impact is the rising cohort of buyers that do not seem brand conscious. Millennials have a different approach to jobs, education, money and buying. They are more likely to be skeptical of brand promises and more likely to buy without giving brand a second thought.

Just before Christmas, Bloomberg featured an article by Matthew Boyle, entitled 'The Retail Apocalypse Is Fueled by No-Name Clothes'. One of the revelations in the story was how the retailer is developing clothes for Amazon’s surging apparel business. 

Amazon representatives met with fashion designer Jackie Wilson. They wanted her to make a knit top for women that would be sold on Amazon. They wanted the fabric to feel heavy and high-quality just like name-brand attire.

“They are not concerned at all about how many units they sell, and they’re not focused on margins,” says Wilson, whose company in Syracuse, N.Y., makes clothing for Kohl’s, American Eagle Outfitters, and J.C. Penney Co. “They’re concerned about customer satisfaction. They want five-star reviews.”

The Google research we published earlier shows that customer assistance and satisfaction are the primary elements of the new battleground for retailers. Customer satisfaction seems to be the driving force at Amazon. And why not. They have the lead in discoverability, logistics, customer assistance, price and convenience. So why not go for customer satisfaction and have the whole enchilada.

BRAND - YouTube 2017 Advertising Leader Board

This special edition of the Global YouTube ads leader board showcases the top 10 ads of the year.

Connect to the Leader Board

BRAND - Gillette responds to Harry's and Dollar Shave Club

Gillette is rapidly moving to a more cost effective shave

In a "very different approach", Gillette said it will introduce lower-cost razors and beef up its disposable shaver collection.

Gillette will start selling new three-blade and five-blade razors in January that will cost less than $10. It will also start selling disposable razors that will feature the Gillette cooling technology.

This new approach appears to be Gillette's latest response to subscription competitors who have been very disruptive. Until now, Gillette had focused most attention on its expensive Fusion razors, marketing itself as a top-tier brand. That strategy and the rushed to market copycat, Gillette Shave Club, hasn't paid off.

Gillette's pricey razors opened the space for innovation in men's grooming

When Procter and Gamble purchased Gillette for $57 billion in 2005, then the largest acquisition in the company's history, Warren Buffett called it "a dream deal." However, a pack of innovative subscription services including Dollar Shave Club, Harry's and ShaveLogic, have chipped away Gillette's market position. "Gillette was poorly positioned to defend (market) share as consumers shifted to cheaper razors," said Joe Agnese, CFRA Research analyst to CNN.

According to Macquarie Research, Gillette now controls about 56% of the market meaning Gillette's share of the U.S. razor market has dropped 11% in the past two years. Sales at Procter and Gamble's grooming unit, which includes Gillette, slumped 6% in the most recent quarter. Yet Procter and Gamble had not launched a new razor line in 12 years. Their strategy seemed to be upgrading the Fusion series while betting on brand power to lure consumers to its higher-priced blades and slogan 'the best a man can be'.


WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:
Unilever's purchase of Dollar Shave Club for a billion dollars and Target's partnership with Harry's is easier to understand in the light of the Gillette experience. It now seems evident that brand power is expensive and may not be successful for maintaining brand position in the face of innovation. Clearly there is a paradigm shift occurring that doesn't favour legacy brands of the large and powerful consumer directed organizations and retailers.

Pet Supplies Plus Expanding Brand

Partnering with Franchise America Finance, Pet Supplies Plus will be making $15 million USD available to franchise candidates. America Finance specializes in debt and equity placement. It will be offering Pet Supplies Plus franchise candidates and current franchise owners financing solutions. Pet Supplies Plus will use this money to grow their brand in several American cities. Franchise

Pet Supplies Plus Vice President of Franchising, Alex Roberts said, “We are honored to work with the well-respected team at Franchise America Finance as we continue to grow the Pet Supplies Plus franchise into new territories and expand our presence in current markets. The partnership with FAF will help qualified candidates accelerate the ownership process to get their stores open quicker.”

Pet Supplies Plus opened 30 stores in 2014 and plans on expanding with 17 new franchisees in 2015. Roberts said, “In addition to this recent partnership, our team has continued to build a strong business model for franchisees including increased support from our corporate headquarters, an optimized distribution process and a prototype designed for maximum unit-level economics.”

   

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P&G kicks off Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games 'Thank You Mom' Campaign

Procter & Gamble, a world-wide Olympic partner, kicked off the company's Thank You Mom campaign today with the Raising an Olympian series featuring global Olympians. 

The launch of the campaign marks 100 days until the start of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter games and is supported by more than 15 P&G brands around the globe. The Raising of an Olympian series pays tribute to moms by showcasing the journey of world-class athletes as seen through the eyes of their moms. 

As part of P&G's dedication to bringing the best to moms around the world, the Thank You Mom campaign will come to life through a variety of media channels and in store. Two million retailers throughout the world will feature P&G Olympic Games themed athlete packaging, end caps and displays. 

The first half of the Raising an Olympian films can be viewed at: P&G Raising an Olympian

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About P&G

P&G servies approximately 4.8 billion people around the world with its brands. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands in cluding Ace®, Bounty®, Crest®, Duracell®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Iams®, Olay®, Pampers®, Tide®, Vicks® and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. 

Ontario announces $5.5 million in annual funding to strengthen protection for animals

Madeleine Meilleur

The Ontario Government announced today it is strengthening protection for animals through regular inspections of zoos and aquariums, by boosting enforcement of animals of animal welfare laws, cracking down on puppy and kitten mills and enhancing standards of care for marine mammals.

The Ontario SPCA and its communities will receive enhanced government support for work in enforcing Animal Welfare legislation, preventing animal cruelty and protecting animals.

"Our government cares deeply for the well-being of animals wherever they live in this province," said Madeleine Meilleur, Ministry of Community Safety and Correction Services. "These measures strengthen the enforcement of animal welfare laws in under-serviced areas, dedicate resources to specific areas of concern . . . and will set new standards of care for marine mammals." 

"The $5.5 million in annual funding and broadened scope of responsibilities speaks to the importance of Animal Welfare in our province and the essential need for the animal protection services of the Ontario SPCA communities," said Kate MacDonald, Ontario SPCA Chief Executive Officer. 

The Ontario SPCA and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services are working together to provide enhanced protection of animals and service to communities through new and expanded programs across the province including a special squad for unusual or lengthy investigations, a provincial zoo and aquarium registry and increased resources for northern and First Nations communities. 

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2013 PetLynx Activity - 273 Days Ending 30 September

The PetLynx utility had the following activity for the first 273 days of 2013:  

• 16,942 animals registered increasing total to 984,307
• 17,390 associates (owners/service providers) registered increasing total to 878,968
• 22,606 recovery episodes by the IAMS sponsored Automated HomeSafe Program increasing total to 285,588
• 13,978,361 webhits
• 258,015 logins

Battle of the Blades star skates for humane society

A popular CBC reality series, Battle of the Blades, is returning for its 4th season and one of the supported charities will be Ontario SPCA affiliate Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes (HSKL). 

Russian-born Violetta Afanasieva, Battle of the Blades figure skater, chose to support the HSKL so she can raise awareness for the humane and rescue sector and to promote the Kawartha Lakes. 

"I am absolutely thrilled to skate for the Humane Society as my charity this year," Afanasieva said in her CBC bio. "The Kawartha Lakes Humane Society is run by terrific and devoted people and I can't wait to tell Canada about them. I believe that organizations like the Humane Society show the wonderful compassionate character of Canadians and the love for nature that they hold." 

Battle of the Blades features NHL players trading in their hockey sakes for figure skates and competing to benefit charities. Season 4 premiers Sunday, September 22 at 8 p.m. 

2013 PetLynx Activity - 243 Days Ending 31 August

The PetLynx utility had the following activity for the first 243 days of 2013: 

• 14,899 animals registered increasing total to 982,264
• 15,322 associates (owners/service providers) registered increasing total to 876,900
• 19,799 recovery episodes by the IAMS sponsored Automated HomeSafe Program increasing total to 282,781
• 12,058,988 webhits
• 226,398 logins

Pets Plus Us launches first Community Kibble edition

Pets Plus Us released the inaugural edition of its ezine yesterday. Community Kibble: Little morsels of info and updates features industry news, tips for pet owners, promotions and more. 

Chief Veterinary Officer for Pets Plus Us, Chip Coombs, will also feature a regular column, Dr. Chip's Corner, where he will explore answers to several frequently asked pet owner questions. Community Kibble is an anticipated next step in Pets Plus Us' efforts to create a 'community'. Their efforts to provide transparent and accessible information for pet owners is part of the company's brand strategy to be 'equal parts community, membership and pet insurance coverage.'

To subscribe to Community Kibble, CLICK HERE. 

Ontario SPCA offers Meet Your Match ™

Meet Your Match™, a program adopted from the ASPCA, confer a series of assessments on sheltered cats and dogs prior to adoption. Behavioral attributes such as friendliness, playfulness, energy level, motivation and drive are all assessed and dogs are then placed into one of nine colour-coded 'Canine or Puppy-alities. 

Meet Your Match™ is the only method in existence today that evaluates an animal's behavior and interests and matches them into an adopter's preferences so that pets and pet families click. 

The Ontario SPCA announced recently it is developing a social media presence behind the Meet Your Match™ program. A new app on the organization's Facebook page allows users to fill out a survey about their pet, provides links to the Canine-ality™, Puppy-ality™ and Feline-ality™ sections of the Meet Your Match™ website and displays the Meet Your Match™ YouTube video starring Animal Planet's Dave Salmoni.  

ONTARIO SPCA MEET YOUR MATCH™

ASPCA MEET YOUR MATCH™

Petsecure promotes Pet Health Insurance Month

Veterinary clinics across Canada are partnering with Petsecure pet health insurance during the month of September to raise awareness on the benefits of insuring your pet. 

Participating clinics will be decorating waiting rooms to promote and increase awareness which, according to a survey from Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Magazine, can mean the difference between life and death. The survey found pet owners choosing euthanasia for economic reasons is not uncommon. 

"When a dog or cat with a treatable condition is euthanized because of economics, the situation can be devastating," said Colleen Skavinsky, chief veterinary officer at Petsecure. "Not only for the pet parents, but also for the hospital staff who have devoted their careers to keeping pets healthy. Pet health insurance allows pet owners and veterinarians to make medical decisions based on what's right for their pet without the worry of financial constraints." 

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OSPCA welcomes new Chief Veterinary Officer

Photo Credit

Ontario SPCA Chief Executive Officer Kate MacDonald announced yesterday the organization has officially enlisted Dr. Magdalena Smrdelj for the position of Chief Veterinary Officer.

Dr. Smrdelj has held various positions within the Ontario SPCA since 2009, until recently, she held the position of acting Chief Veterinary Officer. In addition, Smrdelj has worked as a veterinarian with both the Newmarket Spay Neuter Clinic and the companion animal hospital at the Provincial Education and Animal Centre. According to McDonald, Dr. Smrdelj was instrumental in overseeing the medical aspects of the organization's first spay/neuter operation in Ontario. 

NS SPCA announces new CEO

The Provincial Board of the Nova Scotia SPCA announced earlier this week the arrival of new CEO Elizabeth Murphy.

Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector, most recently as the Director of Development with Easter Seals of Nova Scotia. She has also served as the Director of Development at the PEI Humane Society, Executive Director with Bulkley Valley HIV/AIDS Society and Revenue Development Director at the PEI Heart and Stroke Foundation. 

"The Urban Animal Program enjoyed the leadership of the Nova Scotia SPCA for its subscribers throughout North America. On behalf of nearly 1,600 Urban Animal Directors, Advocates, Mentors, Alumni, Associates and Collaborators we extend a hearty welcome to Elizabeth Murphy the new CEO of this organization," said PetLynx Corporation president and CEO Larry Evans. 

"We invite Elizabeth to continue the tradition of North America leadership which we enjoyed under former Chief Executive, Kristen Williams and we offer our support and our encouragement as she takes over the reins of Atlantic Canada’s largest Humane/Rescue organization."

In addition to her management, fund development and communications skills, Elizabeth has a love for animals and is committed to the growing success of the Nova Scotia SPCA.

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Kijiji urged to ban household pet listings

A Montreal animal advocate plans to file a 50,000 signature petition with Canada's largest online classified site, Kijiji, to prevent the sale of household pets. 

Barbara Lapointe told the National Post that by banning private pet sale listings, Kijiji would be cutting off one of the last avenue available for puppy mills to sell their animals. The same article reported a Kijiji spokesman said the company has no intention of banning pet sales but that it has already partnered with several organizations in Humane and Rescue to help prevent commercial breeders. 

Shawn McIntyre, Kijiji's community manager, told Global News the site has set up a system to catch suspicious posts and prevent mills from posting listings. 

"We're choosing to work with the industry and do our best to keep it clean and safe," he said. "We want to make sure that we're filtering out any bad users and not driving them underground." 

Related Reading: 

• Calgary Breeder Certification Announced
• Kijiji and OSPCA collaborate on educational video

PIJAC Canada's Exotic Animal Policy distributed among Canadian municipalities

PIJAC Canada's Exotic Animal Policy will be distributed to the roughly 2,000 members of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as the two organizations collaborate to build healthy communities for people and pets.

PIJAC Canada has played a critical role in the exotic animal conversations taking place across the continent. Following the death of two young boys in Nova Scotia, many Canadian municipalities are reevaluating their exotic animal policies and searching for responses and solutions to community concerns. 

PIJAC CANADA'S EXOTIC ANIMAL POLICY

In addition to their efforts with the federal and provincial municipal unions, PIJAC Canada continues to take part in exotic animal education programs. During the Reptile Expo in Red Deer, AB, Board member Rob Church spoke with families, breeders and hobbyists about the Council's Reptile Certification program, safe handling poster series and the Exotic Animal Policy.